CATECHISM 



OF 



AN HISTORICAL, 

Doctrinal, Mtral and Liturgical 
EXPOSITION 



O F T H E 



FROM THE FRENCH OF ABBE GAUME. 



BY REV. F. B. JAMISON 



FROM THE FIFTH PARIS EDITION. 



Jesus Christus heri et hodie, ipse et in ssBcula. — Heb. xiii, 8. 
Jesus Christ yesterday and to-day, and the same for ever. 

Deus charitas est. — 1 John iv, 8. God is charity. 



BALTIMORE: 
PUBLISHED BY P. J.HEDIAN & CO 

No. 2 North Gat street. 
1849. 



^' 



APPROBATION 



'OrhL^ 



I cheerfully recommend to the patronage of the Catho- 
lic community the Catechism of Perseverance, translated 
from the " Petit Catechisme de Perseverance," of the 
Abbe Gaume, as a work well calculated to impart solid 
historical, liturgical, moral and doctrinal instruction in 
an agreeable form, and as being particularly well suited 
for the purpose of higher religious instruction in Catholic 
schools and academies. f Martin J. 

Bishop of Lengone and Coadjutor Bishop of Louisville* 

Louisville, April 25, 1849. 

Although I have not read the translation of the abridg- 
ment of the *' Catechism of Perseverance," I cheerfully 
recommend it to the faithful on the ample guarantee of 
the approbation of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Spalding. 

t Samuel, Archbishop of Baltimore, 

Baltimore, August 23, 1849. 

We cheerfully concur in the approbation given above 
by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Spalding. 

f Michael, Bishop of Mobile, 
t Anthony, Bishop of*New Chdeans. 
'' ' t John, Bishop of Galveston. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1849, by 

P. J. HEDIAN & CO. 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Maryland. 



/ //yj 



INTRODUCTION 



47 



St. Augustin, the illustrious bishop of Hippo, being 
asked what was the best method of teaching religion, 
replied in his admirable tieB.iise, Manner of teaching the 
ignorant : " The true method of teaching religion is to 
begin with these words, In the beginning God created 
the heaven and the earth, and develop the whole history 
of Christianity down to our own time. It will not be 
requisite to relate all the particulars of the Old and 
New Testament, a labor neither feasible nor necessary. 
Make an abridgment, insist on what seems to you the 
'nos^ important points. ... In order to show the whole 
coj.e of religion, bear in mind that the Old Testament 
': the figure of the New ; that the entire Mosaic reli- 
the patriarchs, their lives, their covenants, their 
^ces, are o many figures of what we see ; that the 
whole Jewish people and their government are but 
a GREAT PROPHET of Jcsus Christ and of the Church." 
This, according to St. Augustin, should be the 
teaching of the letter of religion. The holy doctor, 
faithful interpreter of the divine Master, makes the 
spirit of religion consist in the loxe of God and our 
neighbor; bespeaks thus: "Commencing your ac- 
count from the creation of all things in a state of per- 
fection, and bringing it down to the existing period of 



IV INTRODUCTION. 

the Church, your sole aim will be to show that every 
thing prior to the Incarnation of the Wordy tends 
to manifest the love of God in accomplishing this 
mystery. Jesus Christ himself immolated for us, 
teaches us the immensity of God's love for us, in 
giving us his true and only Son. If then the prin- 
cipal end proposed to himself by the eternal Word 
in coming on earth, was to teach man how much 
he is beloved by God, and if this knowledge itself 
has no other end than to kindle in man's heart the 
love of that God who has first loved him, and the 
love of his neighbor, of w^hich God has himself given 
both the precept and the example ; and if, again, 
the whole of the Scriptures, anterior to Jesus Christ, 
have for their object the announcement of his coming; 
and if the whole of the Scriptures posterior to him 
speak only of Christ and charity, is it not evident that 
not only the law and the prophets, but also the New 
Testament, are reducible to these two great precepts: 
the love of God and the love of our neighbor ? 

" You will therefore explain whatever you rehearse, 
and account for the cause and the end of all events, by 
the word love, in such a manner that this grand idea may 
be ever present to the mind and heart. This two-fold 
love of God and our neighbor, being the end to which 
tend all you have to say, you will treat the whole in 
such a manner, as to lead your hearers \.o faith, from 
faith to hope, from hope to charily " 

Such is the plan we have endeavored to follow. 
Could we choose a better ? Will the youth of the nine- 



INTRODUCTION. V 

teenth century lose any thing by having St. Augustin 
for their catechist ? Thus the exposition of the Catholic 
religion from the beginning of the world to the jjresent 
day, the Catholic religion before, during, and after 
the preaching of Jesus Christ, is the object of this 
Catechism. 

It is divided into four courses, the first embraces 
the period from the first day of creation to the coming 
of the Messiah : the second, the birth, life, death 
and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ : the third, the 
establishment, preservation and propagation of the 
Catholic Church : the fourth, the church visible — its 
worship, both exterior and interior. 

FIRST COURSE. 

The first course will embrace the following matter : 
1. God. — The six days of creation. We adore 
in his ineffable essence the God of eternity, w^ho has 
created time and all things that exist in time. The 
existence and perfections of this eternal 5eing demand- 
ing first our attention, we consider his power, his wis- 
dom, his goodness, his liberty, his immutability, his 
providence. 

After contemplating God in himself, we consider 
him in his works With the morning stars we assist 
at the glorious spectacle of the creation of the universe. 
Each creature, as it comes forth from his hand, bears 
on its brow, graven in living characters, the omnipotent 
word, God. All things speak the unity, power, wis- 
dom, goodness, and paternal providence of Him who 
1* 



VI INTRODUCTION. 

watches with the same care over those majestic orbs, 
which shall run their destined course, until the end of 
ages, and the tender flower whose life of a day com- 
mences and ends with the rising and setting of the sun. 

2. The phimeval state. Created in a state of 
grace and supernatural justice, man knew God, knew 
himself, knew all nature — thus was he happy in his 
intellect. He loved God with a lively, tender, pure 
and tranquil love, and in God and for God he loved 
himself and all creatures — thus was he happy in his 
heart; exempt from infirmities and sickness, he would 
never have known death — thus was be happy in his 
body ; in a word, united to Him who is the source of 
happiness and immortality, the whole man was pos- 
sessed of happiness and immortality. Hence in the 
primitive slate there was, for God, the unresisted exer- 
cise of his dominion over man, and through man, over 
all creatures : omniain omnibus; for man, truth, charity 
and immortality — hence between God and man an inti- 
mate union, which gave glory to God, peace to man, or- 
der and harmony to all creatures. Such was man, and 
such the state of the world in the state of innocence. 

3. Fall of man and his redemption. Scarcely 
have we looked upon the beautiful vision, for man's 
primitive happiness passed with the fleetness of a 
vision, when we witness the terrible catastrophe, which 
has left its remembrance indelibly stamped up-on the 
minds of the nations of the earth, man is fallen! Ho, 
is stripped of grace, and his supernatural justice, con- 
demned to death, the union between God and man 



INTRODUCTION. VU 

destroyed — and man condemned to labor, infirmities, 
sickness, and all the miseries his fallen state is heir to. 
Yet he is not destroyed forthwith, as he meiited; he 
is not treated as were the rebel angels ; time is granted 
him to recover from his fall, regain what he had lost, 
and the means are furnished him wherewith to repair 
his misfortune, and be re-united to God. Here com- 
mences the great mystery of God's mercy — a Redeemer 
is promised. 

4. The MsssrAH promised. To close the heart of 
man against despair, and afford him patience during 
four thousand years, a Redeemer is promised. Scarcely 
is he fallen, when the words of God to the serpent, 
her seed shall crush thy head, announce to him the con- 
soling tidings. Adam comprehends this first promise, 
and transmits it to his children, as the only hope of the 
human race, for two thousand years. The second 
promise is made to Abraham, and fixes the fulfilment 
among his descendants. As ages roll on, the promises 
become more numerous, more precise and definite. 
Man was always assured of a Redeemer, but he knew 
not when or where to expect him — gradually he is 
taught to find him in the family of David. Here the 
promises cease, with David. Whilst the figures, com- 
mencing also with Adam, exhibited and continued in 
Abel, Noah, Melchesidec, Isaac, Joseph, the Paschal 
Lamb, Moses, &c., also cease in the person of Jonas, the 
last figure of the Messiah. 

5. The Messiah predicted and pointed out. 
During three thousand years, from Adam the first fig- 



VllI INTRODUCTION. 

ure to Jonas the last, appears a long list of illustrious 
personages, who all represent the Messiah in some 
circumstances of his birth, death, resurrection, and 
triumph. A thousand events are brought to bear, a 
great variety of ceremonies and sacrifices are estab- 
lished, all uniting to form the outlines of the portrait. 
The most significant were the sacrifices. Each day 
the blood of victims, the perpetual immolation of the 
lamb in the temple of Jerusalem, unceasingly remind 
the Jewish people of the future Victim, whose sacrifice 
was to re-place all others, and to which they owed all 
their merit. Of this no Jew was ignorant Yet these 
mere outlines are not sufficient, the difl^erent parts must 
be filled up, the colors must be added, the light and 
shade must be so justly blended, that the likeness may 
be perfect, and leave no possibility of mistaking the 
original. Follow the prophets, whose intelligence 
God, in his w^isdom, associates with his own infinite 
intelligence, and communicates to them the hidden 
things of the future. He places before their eyes the 
Desired of nation's, and bids them make the likeness 
with such precision, render the features so clear, so 
characteristic, so circumstantial, that it shall be im- 
possible not to recognize, at sight, this Son of David, 
who will save the world. The prophets, to accredit 
their predictions concerning the Messiah, foretell events 
nearer their own time, all of which faithfully occur at 
the time and in the manner foretold. Daniel foretells 
the precise time of the Messiah's appearance ; all 
things are made ready for his coming. 



INTRODUCTION. IX 

6. The preparation for the Messiah. After five 
hundred years of prophecies perfectly characterizing 
and pointing out the Messiah, marking the place and 
time of his birth, and giving in detail his actions, we 
must prepare for his glorious appearance. The eternal 
Word, the immortal King of ages, the Desired of na- 
tions, is about to make his entry into the world; God, 
his father, makes smooth his w^ay, opens the gates and 
prepares the minds of all people to receive him ; a 
thousand events are made to concur in the establish- 
ment of his eternal reign. In the four great monarchies 
which arose at different periods during the course of 
ages, with their eventful existence, w^ars, victories, and 
alliances, of which the east and the west were the 
theatre, and which absorb all other empires, till the 
w^hole world is resting in peace beneath the wings of 
the Roman eagle, we recognize the preparation for the 
coming of the Messiah, and behold the entire universe 
brought to the feet of Jesus Christ, the new born King. 
0! admirable philosophy, whose sublimity fills the 
learned with astonishment, yet whose simplicity is 
within the reach of the humblest of the weak. Thus 
God, man, the world, Jesus Christ promised, pointed 
out, and prepared for, are the subject of our study 
during, the first course. 

SECOND COURSE. 

In the second course we pass from the reign of 
shadows and preparations to that of light and reality. 
Following the advice of 8t. Augustin, we present the 



X INTRODUCTION. 

Gospel as the divine commentary and accomplishment 
of the Old Testament. With the fathers of the church 
we teach that the Catholic religion, born with the 
world, known to the patriarchs, further developed by 
Moses and the prophets, was finally established and 
fully perfected under the Gospel. The Jews had the 
shadow without the reality, the Christian possesses 
the truth hidden under veils, the saint sees it face to 
face. The Old Testament is manifested in the New, 
and the New shall be manifested in heaven. We thus 
introduce the Christian youth to the life of the Messiah. 
1. The life of the Messiah. We behold the 
Son of the august Virgin of Judah, occupied from his 
birth, not in founding a new religion, but in perfecting 
the ancient, in doctrine, morals and worship ; instead 
of impotent elements, substituting sacraments replete 
with grace and efficacy, abolishing those rites which 
appropriated religion to the Jew only, and declaring 
the end of his mission is not to destroy the law and the 
prophets, but to accomplish and confirm them. He 
unites his new work with the old, or rather teaches 
us that the Old and New Testaments form but one 
whole, of which he is the centre, one edifice, of which 
he is the corner stone. We see him born, living, 
teaching as a man-God, and dying, but dying in a 
manner worthy of God, proving his divinity more in- 
vincibly by his death than by his life. A remarkable 
fact characterizes his advent, from the moment of his 
birth, the nations ceased and have for ever ceased to ex- 
pect the Messiah ; the Jews alone are an exception, and 



INTRODUCTION. XI 

yet this very exception is in our favor; their rejection of 
the Messiah had been foretold ; had the Jews not reject- 
ed him, he would therefore not have been the Messiah. 
Another fact calls for our attention, our Lord fulfils, in 
its fullest extent, all that was expected of the Desired 
of nations, with respect to God, with respect to 
man, and w^ith respect to God and man; hence infinite 
homage to God; perfect atonement for man, even to 
the death of the cross ; and an intimate union between 
God and man. 

2. The Messiah the new Adam. In the person 
of the man-God, the human race has been perfectly 
restored to its rights and privileges ; yet each member 
of that race must by his own co-operation participate 
in the restoration, or Christ will profit him nothing. 
He who does not comprehend this fundamental truth, 
does not comprehend Christianity. St. Paul recog- 
nizes but two men in the world, the first Adam, and 
the second Adam, who is Jesus <^hrist. In the first, 
the human race became desperate ; in the second re- 
generated. It was our union with the first that 
brought upon us our misery and wo; nothing but our 
union with the second can repair our loss. Hence the 
indispensable necessity of our being united to the new 
Adam, in our mind, our heart and our senses. 

3. Union of our mind with the new Adam by 
FAITH. The union of our mind w;ith the new Adam 
is operated by faith — he who will not believe shall be 
condemned : the union of our will or heart, by love — he 
%cho loveth not, dwelleth in darkness: the union of our 



XU INTRODUCTION. 

body, by the holy Communion — unless you eat the flesh 
of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not 
have life in you. This admirable economy of Chris- 
tianity was the special object of the instructions given 
by the Saviour to the apostles, during the forty days 
after his resurrection. He entered into a full detail, 
and taught the apostles all the truths which they were 
to preach, and man to believe, in order to be united to 
the new Adam, and participate in the fruit of the re- 
demption. The apostles make an abridgment, the symbol 
called the apostles' Creed. — God, one in nature, three in 
persons, the Father creates, the Son redeems, the Holy 
Ghost sanctifies; — Man, a mysterious compound of body 
and soul, created innocent, degraded by his own fault, 
allowed a time of probation, furnished with the neces- 
sary means to regain his pre-eminent station and primi- 
tive perfection, amenable for the use made of these 
means ; and eternal felicity or eternal misery, the re- 
ward; — the World created by God, governed by the 
laws of a universal providence, destined to be purified by 
lire at the moment marked by Him who made it out of 
nothing. Thus teaches the symbol. 

4. Union of our will or heart with the new 
Adam by charity. Man is not only a spirit, he pos- 
sesses also a heart or body. The simple fact suffices 
to confute the monstrous assertion of the reformers of 
the sixteenth century, that faith alone will save us. By 
faith alone our union with the new Adam is not com- 
pleted, but only commenced, it must be completed by 
charity. Therefore the decalogue follows immediately 



INTRODUCTION. Xlll 

the symbol. The latter exercises our faith, the former 
our love, if you love me, keep my commandments. The 
symbol is the teacher of our feeble reason, and the 
regenerating principle of our thoughts. The Deca- 
logue is the safeguard of our hearts and the re- 
generating principle of our affections. All the precepts 
of the decalogue are reducible to two, the love of God 
and love of our neighbor. The precepts of the deca- 
logue are affirmative or negative. By the affirmative, 
the new Adam teaches what we should love, and how 
we should love — that is, God, and man for the love of 
God. By the negative, he protects our heart from all 
foreio;n and injurious love, thereby protecting all our 
dearest interests and securing the welfare and happi- 
ness of society. 

5. Union of our body and our whole being with 
THE NEW Adam by communion. The two-fold union 
of the rpind and the will, wnth the new Adam, leads to 
a still more intimate union. The blood, the flesh, the 
body, the senses of man are vitiated. Degraded in 
every portion of his being, man needs an entire regen- 
eration — therefore must he be wholly united to the 
new Adam — he needs also an exterior sign of the in- 
terior union operated by faith and love. Hence the 
establishment of the adorable Eucharist. Commenced 
in faith, perfected in love, this union is consummated 
in Communion — there man receives a new life, his 
mind, his heart, his senses are all regenerated by a 
participation in the divine nature. Faith, love and 
communion unite him to Christ the new Adam. 
2 



XIV INTRODUCTION. 

6. Conditions of this triple union with the 
NEW Adam. Man was created in a supernatural slate, 
that is, destined lo enjoy a happiness not required by 
the simple conditions of his nature — man fell from his 
high destiny; he was by Jesus Christ restored to his 
primitive right to behold God face to face, and the 
means given him whereby lo merit it; hence religion 
which conducts man to supernatural happiness, is a 
grace, a gratuitous gift — man therefore, as is evident, 
cannot, by any virtue inherent in him, arrive at this 
triple union — therefore grace is necessary — this was 
true of man before his fall, his state being supernatural. 
Still more is it true of him since his fall. But grace is 
in a special manner the fruit of prayer — hence prayer 
has been always a characteristic feature found amongst 
all people since the beginning of the world —it is as 
necessary for the life of the soul, as breathing is for 
that of the body. Fray always— pray without ceasing. 
Prayer is the soul and life of Christianity. Among 
the first Christians, Christianity and prayer were 
synonymous. Among the converted savages of the 
new world, Christianity is in their language called 
prayer, hence with them to embrace prayer means to 
become a Christian. Grace and prayer therefore are 
necessary for our union with the new Adam. 

7. End of our union with the new Adam. Hav- 
ing shown the nature, necessity and conditions of our 
union with the Redeemer, we explain the end proposed 
by the eternal Word in uniting us so intimately with 
himself — it is, that we may live of his life on earth 






INTRODUCTION. XV 

and in heaven — tl^e life of the new Adam is then the 
model for universal imitation. Not content vrith pour- 
ing the healing balm into our wounded souls, and 
putting us again into the right path, like the noble 
eagle teaching his young eaglets to fly, he takes his 
way to heaven, to show us how, and whither we must 
follow him — like a tender parent, he has explored 
every path, lived through every stage of life through 
which man must pass, in order to sanctify these differ- 
ent stages and teach man to sanctify them. Follow 
me ., ,he that follow eth me walketh not in darkness, . . I 
have given you an example that as I have done to you, so 
you do also; he is our model on earth. Follow me; 
he is our model in heaven. . . . that where I am you also 
may he, Christ is our model in every age, every state 
and every condition : model of our interior life. What 
were his thoughts? what his lave? This is the touch- 
stone of all our thoughts and affections. Model of our 
exterior life. He hath done all things well; model of in- 
feriors, He ivas obedient ; model of superiors, He went 
about doing good; model of all who suffer, JVot what 1 will, 
hut what thou wilt. These are the beautiful lessons he 
still teaches from the tabernacle on our altars — there- 
lore holiness in time and happiness in eternity are the 
end of our union with the new Adam. 

8. Perpetuity of our union with the new 
Adam. The apostles thoroughly instructed in the divine 
economy of man's redemption, must still learn to pre- 
serve and propagate the heavenly work. For this our 
Lord provides — he appoints his vicegerent on earth, 



XVI INTRODUCTION^. 

establishes his hierarchy; behold ! the church teaching. 
Christ calls it his body, that is, the visible organ of his 
spirit — the mouth by which he will speak — the church 
shall never fail, who hears not the church hears not 
Christ, neither the Father who sent him — henceforth it 
shall be impossible to have God for our father, if we 
have not the church for our mother. Therefore we 
next consider the church, her constitution, authority, 
characters and advantages. The mission of our 
Saviour is accomplished; man is redeemed, means of 
salvation secured, the church established to protect 
and perpetuate this immense grace; he ascends to take 
solemn possession of his noble conquest, the eternal 
home of man. Ever before the throne of his father, 
our high priest and advocate, he pleads for us, watches 
over us below, interposes the infinite merit of his suf- 
ferings between our sins and infinite justice; with 
one hand he aids us to fight our battles, with the other 
he places the crown of victory on the brow of him 
who perseveres to the end. 

THIRD COURSE. 

1. Christianity established. As the whole de- 
sign of God previous to the coming of the Messiah 
had for its object, to prepare for and realize the work 
of redemption; so after the coming of the Messiah the 
whole economy of divine wisdom tends to its main- 
tenance and extension. It is the pivot around which 
all human events must turn, the final end of all the 
designs of providence, the sublime and glorious result^ 



INTRODUCTION. XVll 

for the accomplishment of which, knowingly or un- 
knowingly, willingly or unwillingly, empires, kings 
and people combine. The history of religion, since 
Pentecost, is not Jess essential than its history previous 
to that period. Previous to the ascension, our Lord 
had created the body of the Church, the apostles were 
consecrated, disciples associated with the apostles, the 
different, orders of the hierarchy established, the laws 
and regulations for her government promulgated, we 
but wait the descent of the Paraclete. The glorious 
day of Pentecost bursts upon the world — the Holy 
Ghost descends and reposes on each of the assembled 
disciples — the soul is united to the body — the church 
is redolent of life, resplendent w^th beauty, and ex- 
ulting in her strength. She is the tower of David, 
seated on the eternal rock, throwing out her beacon 
light to guide and cheer the exiled sons of Eve on the 
perilous ocean of life. We behold our fathers in the 
faith, at Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth and Home ; we 
descend with them to the catacombs, and witness their 
angelic piety, holy purity, and more than human meek- 
ness and patience in their sufferings, and prayers for 
their persecutors. Christianity established, sheds her 
benign influence on man in his intellectual, moral and 
physical cajidLchy ; society hels its wholesome effects, 
the family is blessed; the father, wife, child, the slave, 
the poor, the prisoner, the stranger are all recipients 
of her bounty, all know and feel what they owe to 
Christianity. The church, however, is militant, for 
her there is no permanent peace on earth ; the conse- 
2* 



XVIU INTRODUCTION. 

quences of sin are only weakened, not destroyed ; the 
battle is ever to be waged ; the intellect battle, there 
must be heresies; the moral battle^ there must be scan- 
dals; the physical battle, there must be misfortunes, 
calamities, public and private, national and individual. 
Man's life is a warfare — his arms ever in his hands 5 
the powers of hell, the impious of earth, the passions 
of his own heart, are leagued against him — he must 
fight, and fight till the end; he must conquer before he 
can be crowned. 

2. Christianity preserved, the priesthood, the 
SAINTS, THE RELIGIOUS ORDERS. Defender, universal 
and permanent promoter of the work of redemption, 
the priest, shall be another Christ, bear the same 
marks, exercise the same functions as Jesus Christ 
himself: 1. Expiator, he shall be a living victim im- 
molating himself for the sins of the people ; do this in 
commemoration of me. 2. Doctor, for ever teaching 
by his words, Christian truth — Ye are the light of the 
world. Go teach all nations. 3. Model, by the bril- 
liant example of every virtue, to stay the ravages of 
concupiscence and all inordinate love to creatures. You 
are the salt of the earth .. .let your light shine before men. 
4. Charitable physician to heal and solace the afflicted. 
Purify the lepers, heal the sick, do good to all Priest 
of God, such is thy mission I When danger urges, 
when the united efforts of the enem.y press closely the 
tower of strength, the alarm is sounded from the war- 
der's watch, behold the assembled councils; which 
define and enforce the truth ; they add not, subtract 



INTRODUCTION. XtX 

not, alter nothing; perfect from the beginning, the 
church knows no development, is not progressive, 
she is always the same, eternal. Behold, /cf?n ivith 
you all days, even to the consummation of the world. 
From Nice where she hurls her anathema against the 
impiety of Arius, to Trent where she places the seal 
of her lasting reprobation upon the beastliness of 
Luther, the unrelenting pride of Calvin, and the inhu- 
man brutality of Henry, she is the mouth-piece of God, 
and witness of the faith as taught in all the churches. 

Saints. In the hour of danger, men powerful in 
words and works are raised up for the aid of the intel- 
lectual, moral and physical man — therefore three kinds 
of saints: the apologists to defend and propagate the 
truth; the c(mtemplative to tread under foot honors, 
riches, pleasures, all the passions, and recalling the 
human heart to the love of supernal things; saints 
hospitalars to solace and care for the physical wants 
of the sick and unfortunate. 

Religious Orders. In the hour of greatest need, 
when all the powers of hell let loose, enraged and 
combined whh the spirits of evil on earth, make their 
most furious onset, behold the Religious Orders rising 
up to do battle for the Lord of Hosts — Man's threefold 
wants, intellectual, moral and physical, are wisely pro- 
vided for — hence the orders apologists who preserve, de- 
fend and propagate the truth : the orders contemplative 
to w^atch over and pray for the preservation of the work 
of redemption in the moral man : the orders hospitalars 
consecrated to the heaven-born duty of nursing and pro- 



XX INTRODUCTION. 

viding for the sick and the destitute, from the infant in 
his cradle to the old man just entering the shades of 
death. Oh ! divine institution ! the church. Oh spouse 
of the living God ! Priesthood, saints, religious orders, 
the great means of thy preservation through all time, 
are summed up in the single word, the church, 

3. Christianity propagated. Christ has died for 
all, without distinction of age, sex, nation or condition. 
The greatest marks of God's love to Christians is the 
preservation of Christianity ; the greatest mark of his 
mercy to the nations still seated in the shadow of death, 
is the light of the gospel, borne in the hands of the 
intrepid, self-devoted missionaries. From the moment of 
the going forth of the apostles illumined and strength- 
ened and inflamed by the Holy Spirit, to the last mis- 
sionary whom we have seen departing to the distant 
clime, the cross his pioneer, the lamb without spot his 
viaticum, through every age and in every clime, these 
men of God, these priests rejoicing in the race, breathe 
but one ardent aspiration, the conversion of souls. 
They suffer privation, submit to the rack, shed their 
generous blood, and fearlessly give up their life to 
consummate their heavenly purpose. As one nation 
becomes unworthy of the further fruition of the light 
of the gospel, its divine rays are seen illumining other 
and distant people. Mysterious providence ! just dis- 
pensation ! unspeakable goodness to the heathen I ter- 
rible retribution for the unfaithful Christian I 



INTRODUCTION. XXI 

FOURTH COURSE. 

CHRISTIANITY VISIBLE. 

1. Exterior worship. It is not sufficient to repre- 
sent religion to the mind and heart of man : that it 
may be comprehended in the full extent of its excel- 
lence, it must be presented also to the senses, therefore 
has God given it expression in visible signs. Exterior 
worship is to the dogma and precepts of Christianity, 
what the visible world is to the invisible — it is a re- 
splendent mirror in which we see, and in a manner 
touch with our hands, the truths of the supernatural 
order, as we behold in the physical world the truths 
of the natural order. 

By exterior worship are rendered visible the teach- 
ings of faith, the rules of morahty, the fall of man, 
his redemption, his immortal hopes, his duties, his 
dignity. In a word, the exterior worship of the Catho- 
lic church is Christianity visible to the senses; it is to 
religion what the word is to the thought — its true ex- 
pression; hence the expression which serves as the 
caption for this course — Christianity visible. 

2. The Sunday, After having ascended to the 
early ages, and shown the venerable origin of the 
Catholic worship, its necessity, its teachings and per- 
fect harmony with our wants ; after having described 
the august places, the churches in which the holy cere- 
monies are performed, and shown that every part of 
these churches is rich with precious and interesting 
mementos, we explain the office of the Lord^s day or 
Sunday, and consequently show how worthy of reli- 



XXll INTRODUCTION. 

gion is the Catholic worship. Whilst all things else 
change and pass away around her, the Church remains 
ever the same; her worship changes not with climes; 
what one priest does at the altar at any particular 
moment of the sacrifice, the same is done at the same 
moment by thousands of priests; not only now, but 
thousands of years ago the same was done. 

3. Division of time. Time, since the fall of man, 
may be defined, the respite granted by divine justice to 
man to recover his lest position. The year is divided 
into three parts, corresponding to the three states o^ 
religion, before, during, and after the preaching of 
Jesus Christ. 

4. The festivals or feasts. The festivals are an 
imperfect image of the eternal festival of the just in 
heaven — they are so many refreshing fountains es- 
tablished by the church from distance to distance along 
the painful journey of life, at which the weary pilgrim 
may invigorate his drooping spirits. The very name 
recalls to man his history, past, present and future ; it 
teaches him the fear of God, encourages and consoles 
him, by reminding him of his primitive excellence, the 
eflicacy of redemption, and the unalloyed happiness 
which awaits him. Festivals are to be considered not 
only in an historical, doctrinal, moral and liturgical 
point of view, but as beautifully harmonizing with the 
season at which they occur; and still more beautifully 
harmonizing with the wants of the human heart A 
moment's reflection shows us that during the course of 
the year, there is not a truth which the church does 



INTRODUCTION. XXUl 

not preach, not a virtue she does not propose for our 
imitation, not a fibre of our soul which she does not 
touch in some one of her various admirable festivals. 
Thus is taught the letter of religion. 

5. The spirit of religion. Every lesson of the 
Catechism has for its object to place in bold relief this 
gjreat, this one only truth: God loving man, loving 
him always ; having from the beginning of the world 
but one purpose, viz : to render man happy by repair- 
ing the evil brought upon himself ; and for the accom- 
plishment of this merciful design, requiring and secur- 
ing the concurrence of heaven and earth, of people and 
kingdoms, the whole world, old and new. Thus the 
love of God above all things, and our neighbor as our- 
selves, for the love of God is the beginning and the 
end, the sum total of all that is taught in the four 
courses. The thought, beautiful, consoling and worthy 
of man and of God, cannot be too frequently repeated, 
my little children ^ love one another, 

6. Religion in eternity. After having traveled 
over the six thousand years which separate us from 
the birth-day of creation, after having followed the 
majestic river of religion, dispensing fertility and life 
on every side in its heaven-directed course, we turn 
the eye to the ages of the • future and ask ourselves, 
whither is this divine religion conducting the human 
race } The Roman Catholic Church, the sole depos- 
itory of this religion, answers, by pointing to heaven. 
She tells us that civilizing the nations, teaching the 
rulers and the ruled, forming them to virtue, and 



XXIV INTRODUCTION." 

solacing all their wants, she gradually repairs in behalf 
of the generations of earth, the woful effects of sin, 
restores to the mind the light, to the heart the health, 
to the soul the empire over the senses, they enjoyed in 
the state of primitive innocence; thereby restoring man 
to his original excellence and re-uniting him to God, 
the only source of happiness; in a word, fitting him 
for the beatific vision of God for all eternity. In 
heaven all things shall be perfected, with respect to 
God, to creatures, and to man. 

First. With respect to God, heaven is the accom- 
plishment of all his designs; the full and entire enjoy- 
ment of all his works, the complete manifestation of 
his glory, the delightful reign of a beloved father over 
his docile children, the immeasurable, eternal outpour- 
ing of his love for them, and the equally eternal out- 
pouring of their love for him ; it is for God the accom- 
plishment of the prayer of his eternal Son, Father .... 
thy kingdom come, thy ivill he done on earth as it is in 
heaven. 

Second. For creatures, heaven is the accomplish- 
ment of the expectation spoken of by the great apostle : 
Every creature groaneth, and is in labor even till now, 
waiting to he delivered from the servitude of corruption 
into the liberty of the glory of the children of God, 

Third. For man, heaven is the accomplishment of 
all his legitimate desires for soul and body — / shall be 
satisfied when thy glory shall appear. What light is 
to him who has been deprived of sight, what health ig 
to the sick man, peace to the afflicted, the refreshing 



INTRODUCTION. XXV 

fountain to the thirsty traveler, his well-loved country 
to the banished exile, heaven is to man, poor, suffering, 
struggling, exiled man ; the full, certain, perfect enjoy- 
ment of all the goods, the repose and immortality of 
happiness and glory. Fm^ I reckon that the sufferings 
of this present time are not wmihy to be compared with 
the glory to come, that shall he revealed io us. 

Summary. The exposition of the Roman Catholic 
Eeligion, in its letter, and in its spirit, its history, its 
dogma, its moral, its worship, its nature, its means, and 
its end in time and eternity, from the beginning of the 
world to the present day, is the design of the *' Cate- 
chism OF Perseverance." 



PRAYER BEFORE CATECHISM. 

Prayer before each lesson. 

Come, Holy Ghost ! replenish the hearts of thy faithful 
children ; and kindle in them the fire of the divine love. 
Send forth thy Spirit and they shall be created; and thou 
shalt renew the face of the earth. 

God ! who by the light of the Holy Ghost dost instruct 
the hearts of the faithful, grant, we beseech thee, that in the 
same Holy Spirit, we may ever relish what is right, under- 
stand the truths of thy divine teaching in our catechism, and 
for ever rejoice in the consolation of his heavenly inspiration, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Prayer after each lesson. 

We fly to thy patronage, holy mother of God ! despise 
not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all 
danger, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin ! 

my God ! who art all love, I do most heartily thank thee 
for having given me the grace to learn the Catechism of Per- 
severance. You have been pleased to enlighten my under- 
standing by a more thorough knowledge of thy holy religion, 
thereby to strengthen my heart in the practice of those vir- 
tues which it commands, grant me then the grace to corre- 
spond faithfully with this great blessing, which will prove a 
source of salvation to so many souls. 

RESOLUTION. 

1 resolve to love God above all things, and my neighbor as 
myself, for the love of God ; in proof of this my love, I will be 
faithful to the study of my catechism and endeavor to profit 
by its instructive and precious lessons. 

A. V. M. 
By thy immaculate conception, most pure Virgin ! inter- 
cede for me, and obtain for me true parity of soul and body. 



CATECHISM. 



COURSE FIRST. 

CHAPTER I. 

Teaching of Religion. — Catechism, 

Question. What is the design of the Catechism of 
Perseverance. 

Answer. The design of the Catechism of Persever- 
ance is to enable those v^ho have made their lirst com- 
munion to persevere in the study and practice of 
religion. 

Q. Why is it necessary to persevere in the study of 
religion after our first communion ? 

A. It is necessary to persevere in the study of reli- 
gion after our first communion: 1st. Because the in- 
structions which precede the first communion are very 
imperfect and easily forgotten. 2d. Because the salva- 
tion of many may perhaps depend on the further in- 
struction and counsels of their pastors. 3d. Because, 
in fine, our life is exposed to many miseries, which re- 
li,^ion alone, well understood and properly cherished, 
can alleviate. 

Q. Why is it necessary to persevere in the practice 
of religion after our first communion ? 

A. It is necessary to persevere in the practice of 
religion after our first communion, because our Lord 
has said: ''He alone shall be saved who shall persev&i^e 
to the end.'^ 

Q. How does the Catechism of Perseverance procure 
us these two advantages? 



28 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

A. The Catechism of Perseverance procures us 
these two advantages by the solid instruction it affords, 
and the pious example of those who learn it. 

Q. What does the word catechism signify? 

A. The word catechism signifies oral teaching or 
teaching by word of mouth. 

Q. Why is the name catechism (oral teaching) 
given to the elementary teaching of religion.^ 

A. The elementary teaching of religion is' thus 
called, because from the beginning of the world till the 
time of Moses, and during the first ages of the church, 
religion was taught orally and not by writing. 

Q. Why was religion taught orally in the beginning 
of the world ? 

A. Religion was taught orally in the beginning of 
the world, 1st, because oral teaching was better suited 
to religion, which was not so fully explained as at the 
present day ; 2d, because men, living much longer 
then, found it very easy to be instructed by oral 
teaching. 

Q. Why was oral teaching also used in the begin- 
ning of the church.'* " 

A. Oral teaching was also used in the beginning of 
the church through fear of the pagans, who might 
have calumniated and turned into derision what they 
did not understand Even before the catechumens 
the mysteries of religion were spoken of with great 
reserve. 

Q. Of what should the word catechism remind us? 

A. The word catechism should remind us of the 
pure manners of the partriarchs, the evangelic virtues 
and suffermgs of the first Christians, and induce us to 
imitate them. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 29 



CHAPTER II. 

Teaching of Religion, — Scripture and Tradition, 

Q. Why did God write his law ? 

A. God wrote his law to prevent men from forget- 
ting or altering it. He himself gave the law to Moses 
written on tables of stone — he commanded him to 
write also his ordinances — the prophets afterwards and 
all the inspired writers wrote their prophecies, their 
instructions and the history of the Jewish people. All 
these books combined are called the Old Testament. 

Q. What does the word Testament signify. 

A. The word Testament signifies alliance or cove- 
nant. The Old Testament is the alliance or covenant 
which God made with the ancient or Jewish people 
through the ministry of Moses. It is a contract which 
contains on the one part, the commands and promises 
of God; and on the other part, the engagements of the 
Jewish people to keep his commands. 

Q. How are the hooks of the Old Testament divided.' 

A. The books of the Old Testament may he divided 
into four parts : 1st. The books of Moses, which are 
five in number; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers 
and Deuteronomy.' They are called the Pentateuch or 
the Law, because they contain the covenant. 2d. The 
historical books, which contain either the histo'iij of 
the people of God in general, — such as the book of 
Joshua, that of Judges, the four books of Kings, the 
two books called Paralepomenon, the book of Esdras, 
that of Nehemias and the two books of Machabees, 
or the histotij of certain saints or other illustrious per- 
sonages, such as the histories of Job, Ruth, Tobias, 
Judith and Esther. 

Q. Continue. 

A. 3,d. The Old Testament contains books of in- 
struction, which teach us how to live well ; such are 

3* 



30 CATECHISBI OF PERSEVERANCE. 

the Psalms of David, one hundred and fifty in number, 
the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Canticle of Canticles, 
the book of Wisdom, and Ecclesiasticus. 4th. Pro- 
phetical books, namely, the books of the four great 
prophets, Isaias, Jeremias, Ezekiel and Daniel ; to these 
may be added David and the twelve minor prophets, 
who are so called because they w^rote less than the 
first four. 

Q. What is the New Testament ? 

A. It is the alliance or covenant which God has 
made with the new or Christian people, through the 
ministry of Jesus Christ himself. This alliance is 
more perfect than the ancient. 

Q. Of what is the New Testament composed ? 

A. The New Testament is composed 1st, of the 
historical books, which are the four Gospels — of St. 
Matthew, St. Marc, St. Luke and St. John, and of the 
Acts of the Apostles written by St. Luke. 2d. The 
books of instruction, such are the letters written by 
the apostles to their disciples, or the churches which 
they had founded. They are fourteen of St. Paul, 
one of St. James, two of St. Peter, three of St. John 
and one of St. Jude. 3d. The prophetical book, which 
is the Apocalypse of St. John. 

Q. What are the books of the Old and New Testa- 
ment combined, called ? 

A. The books of the Old and New Testament com- 
bined, are called the Bible, that is, '' The Book'' by 
excellence. 

Q. What do you understand by the inspiration, the 
authenticity and genuineness of the sacred books ? 

A. A book is inspired, when God himself has re- 
vealed the things which it contains and which the 
author could not have naturally known, or when God 
directs the author in the selection of things already 
known to him, and preserves him from error whilst 
writing them ; it is authentic, when it has been really 
written by the author to whom it is attributed ; it is 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 31 

genuine, when it has come down to us, such as the 
author wrote it, without any essential alteration. 

Q. How do we know that the books of the Old and 
New Testament are insph^ed, authentic and genuine? 

A. We know that the books of the Old and New 
Testament are inspired, authentic and genuine by the 
testimony of Jews and Christians, by the testimony 
of the martyrs, and finally by the teaching of the Catho- 
lic church whose infallibility is proved by incontestable 
miracles. 

Q. Are all the truths of religion found in the sacred 
Scriptures? 

A. All the truths of religion are not found in the 
sacred Scriptures — many of them have been handed 
down by tradition. 

Q. What is tradition ? 

A. Tradition signifies test'mony or truth handed 
down. We here understand by tradition the word of 
God, not written in the sacred books, but handed down 
from father to son. 

Q. How many traditions are there? 

A. There are two traditions, the Jewish and the 
Christian tradition. 

Q. What is the Jewish tradition ? 

A. The Jewish tradition is the word of God, not 
written in the Old Testament, but handed down among 
the Jews, either orally, or in writing. 

Q. What is Christian tradition ? 

A. Christian tradition is the word of God, not written 
in the New Testament, but which the apostles received 
from the mouth of Jesus Christ, which they trans- 
mitted orally to their disciples, and which has come 
down to us by the teachings or writings of the fathers 
or pastors of the church. 

Q. Which are the two great sources of the truths 
of religion ? 

A. The two great sources of the truths of religion are 
the Scriptures and Tradition. We are bound to believe 



32 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

the truths handed down to us by the universal tradition 
of the church, as well as those contained in the Scrip- 
tures, since they are equally the word of God. 



CHAPTER III. 
Knowledge of God. — God considered in himself. 

Q. What is God? 

A. God is a spirit, infinite, eternal and omnipotent, 
who sees all things, hears all things, is every where, 
who has created the world by his power, and who 
governs it by his wisdom. 

Q. What proofs have you of the existence of God ? 

A. There are many proofs of the existence of God. 
We give the three following only. ]st. There is no 
cause without an effect; a painting supposes a painter, 
a house an architect, so also the world presupposes the 
cause that created it. Ihas a view of the universe js 
a sensible proof of the existence of God. 2d. The 
testimony of men. All nations have believed in the 
existence of God. He who would dare say that this 
belief is false, would be considered a fool. 3d. The 
absurdity of atheism. To deny the existence of God 
is to admit an effect without a cause, that good and 
evil are the same, &c. &c. 

Q. What are the principal perfections of God.'' 

A. The principal perfections of God are: 1st. His 
eternity: for God being an infinite being, has neither 
beginning nor end. 2d. His independence: God being 
infinite, depends on nothing, all things depend on him, 
nothing happens but by his permission or by his will. 
3d. His unity: God being infinite is necessarily one. 
4th. His spirituality: God being infinite cannot have a 
body, because a body is limited, imperfect, subject to 
change and dissolution. Being created to the image of 
God, we are able to trace these dilferent perfections in 
ourselves. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. Si 

Q. What do we understand by the hands, the arms, 
the ears, the eyes of God ? 

A. By the hands of God we mean that he made alJ 
things; by his arms, that he is all-powerful; by his 
ears, that he hears all things; and by his eyes that he 
sees all things. It is a manner of speaking by which 
God condescends to place himself within the reach of 
our understanding. So also, by the anger of God, we 
mean the justice with which he punishes sin, for ipod 
is never in anger. 

Q. What are the other perfections of God? 

A. The other perfections of God are, his intelligence : 
since God is infinite, he knows all things, the past, 
present and future, or rather there is no past nor future 
for God, all is present; his goodness, his holiness, his 
mercy, are others of his perfections. In a word, God 
possesses all perfections, without the shadow of im- 
perfection. 

Q. What is Providence? 

A. Providence is the act by which God preserves 
and directs all created things to their proposed end. 

Q. Give some proofs of a Providence ? 

A. 1st. The sight of the universe, the harmony of 
which proves to us that there must be some intelligent 
cause that conducts it. 2d. The testimony of all nations, 
who have ever believed in a God, and that he governs 
the world, and have also offered up prayers and sacri- 
fices to him. 3d. The absurdity of deism ; for to deny 
a providence is to admit a God who is blind, deaf, 
dumb and slothful, who lets the world run at hazard, 
and who treats alike the man who adores him and the 
one who outrages him. 



34 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE, 



CHAPTER IV. 

Knowledge of God — God considered in his works. 
First day of the creation. 

Q. What were the first words God spoke in creating 
the world ? 

A. The first words God spoke in creating the world 
w^re these: ''Let there he lightP These words so 
simple and so immediately followed by their effect, 
" and there was lighty' show us the all-powerfulness 
of God. He who is all-powerful does what he wishes, 
simply by speaking. 

Q. Could not God have created the world in a single 
instant ? 

A. God could have created the world in a single 
instant; but choosing six days to make the earth out of 
nothing and to arrange it in order, he wished to teach 
us that he is free to do as he pleases. 

Q. What was the state of the earth when God had 
created it? 

A. When God had created the earth, it was all 
naked, without ornament, without inhabitants, and en- 
tirely surrounded with deep waters, and these waters 
were enveloped in a thick mist. 

Q. What is light ? 

A. It is impossible to know what light is. We 
know very well that it exists, but we cannot compre- 
hend it. It is one of those mysteries of nature which 
teach us to believe with docility the mysteries of 
faith. 

Q. Why has God created light? 

A. God has created light to enable us to enjoy the 
glorious spectacle of the universe, to admire its beau- 
ties, and to labor in our respective avocations. 

Q. Does light come to us with great velocity } 

A. Light travels with incomprehensible velocity ; 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 35 

in seven or eight minutes a ray of light travels through 
many millions of miles. 

Q. Why does God make light travel with such 
velocity, and in every direction ? 

A. God makes light travel with such velocity and 
in every direction, in order that an infinity of objects 
may be seen at the same instant by a great number of 
persons, and that the night may be promptly dis- 
pelled. 

Q. What are the blessings conferred by light? * 

A. The blessings conferred by light are: 1st. To 
color objects, in order to distinguish them. 2d. To 
contribute to our use and pleasure; for colors embellish 
our dress and our furniture ; they are employed in the 
various situations of life, some envinftn us with mod- 
esty, others with brilliancy, whilst others serve us for 
mourning. 3d. Light secures our health and life. 
Thus God has made all things for us. 



CHAPTER V. 

Knowledge of God — God considered in his works. 
Second day cf the Creation^ 

Q. What did God ~do on the second day. 

A. The second day God made the firmament, and 
separated the waters which surrounded the earth ; one 
portion of them he elevated above the firmament, and 
called them the waters above ; the other portion he left 
beneath the firmament, and called them the waters 
below. 

Q. What is the firmament ? 

A. The firmament or heavens is all that space which 
extends from "the earth to the fixed stars. 

Q. What is the extent of the heavens ? 

A. To judge of the extent of the heavens it will 
suffice to know: 1st. That the sun which appears to 



36 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

occupy SO small a space in the heavens, is more than a 
million times greater than the earth, which is about 
twenty-five thousand miles in circumference. 2d. That 
it is ninety millions of miles distant from the earth. 
3d. That the fixed stars are so many suns and are 
thousands in number. It is thus the heavens show 
forth the glory of God. 

Q. What must we conclude from this ? 

A. From this we must conclude: 1st. That we are 
of little moment, if we consider only the space we 
occupy in the world, but that we are of very great 
moment if we reflect that the firmament and all its 
wonders have been created for us. 2d, That we ought 
to entertain the greatest respect and love for God, who 
being so great and so powerful has designed to become 
an infant for us, and to give us himself in the Holy 
Communion. 

Q. What do you remark of the color of the heavens ? 

A. The color of the heavens is azure, which pleases 
the eye the most. This color sometimes changes, in 
the morning and evening, for instance, in order to 
sooth our sight and prepare it, either for the brilliant 
rays of the sun, or for the coming darkness of the night. 

Q. What occupies the space w^hich separates the 
earth from the heavens.? 

A. The space which separates the earth from the 
heavens is occupied by air. Air surrounds the whole 
earth and presses upon our bodies i with very great 
force; each man bears oa his head a volume of air 
which weighs at least twenty-one thousand pounds; 
we are not crushed by it because the air within us pro- 
duces an equilibrium; if this equilibrium were to cease 
we should perish immediately. 

Q. What does this show us .? 

A. This shows how completely our life is at every 
moment in the hands of God, and how we ought to 
fear to offend him. 

Q. Why is air invisible ? 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 37 

A. The air which is so closely connected with us is 
mvisibJe, because if it were visible, objects could not 
be distinctly seen. 

Q. What is the use of air? 

A. 1st. The air is a messenger which brings us the 
various odors, and enables us to discern the good or bad 
qualities of food; it brings us sounds and enables us to 
know what passes at a distance, and also the thoughts 
of others. 2d. The air is a kind of pump that raises 
up from the sea the water necessary to render the 
earth fruitful, and afterwards distributes it wherever 
the Creator ordains. • 3d. Finally, the air enables us to 
live by respiration. It is a great blessing lor which 
many men forget to thank God. 



CHAPTER Vr. 

Knowledge of God — God considered in hi^ works. 
Third day of Creation. 

Q. What did God do the third day? 

A. The third day God gathered the sea into the 
place which he had prepared for it ; he commanded the 
earth to appear and bring forth the green herbs, the 
plants and the trees. 

Q. What observation do you make on the extent of 
the sea? 

A. On the extent of the sea, I observe that it is 
neither too great nor too small. If it were greater, the 
earth would be an uninhabitable marsh, because we 
should have too much rain ; if it were smaller, we 
should not have enough., the earth would be sterile 
and we would die with famine. 

Q. How has God prevented the water of the sea 
from corrupting ? 

A. God has prevented the water of the sea from cor- 
rupting by two means; the first is the ebbing and flow- 
4 



38 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

ing of the sea ; the sea is always in motion ; during six 
hours it forces the waters from its centre to the shore, 
and during the next six it recalls them from the shore 
to its centre. The second means is the salt in the 
ocean; the waters of the sea are brackish or salty. The 
salt of the ocean has another advantage, it renders the 
water heavy and prevents the sun from drawing too 
great a quantity of it. 

Q. For what are we indebted to the sea ? 

A. We are indebted to the sea for a great many 
blessings. 1st. It furnishes us with rain, with fish 
and with pearls. 2d. It brings us, by the means of 
ships, the riches of all other countries. 3d. It facili- 
tates the propagation of the faith among all nations. 

Q. What did God do after he had gathered the sea 
into the place which he had prepared for it ? 

A. After he had gathered the sea into the place 
which he had prepared for it, God made the dry land 
to appear, to which he gave the name earth, that is, 
sterile, to show us that the blessings which it affords 
lis do not originate from the earth of itself. 

Q. With what did God cover the earth ? 

A. He covered it with green herbs, because green is 
the color best suited to our eye ; had he colored the 
earth red, black or white, we could not have borne the 
sight. 

Q. With what properties did God invest the herbs? 

A. God has invested the herbs with the property of 
bearing seeds in order to propagate and multiply their 
species, and thereby provide for our subsistence and 
the subsistence of animals, which are all made for 
our use. 

Q. How many parts are there in a plant! 

A. There are four parts in a plant. 1st. The root 
which tixes and nourishes the plant. 2d. The stalk 
which is destined to bear the seed and the fruit. 3d. 
The leaf which embellishes, warms and nourishes it 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 39 

4th. The seed or fruit which serves for our wants and 
pleasures, and for perpetuating the plant. 

Q What do you conclude from this 1 

A. From this we must conclude, that it is sufficient 
to study only the smallest flower, to fill us with con- 
fidence and love for God, and make us cry out with our 
Lord : A'ot even Solomon in all his glory loas arrayed 
as one of these ; if God so clothe the grass of the field ; 
ivhich to day is, and to-morrow is thrown into the oven, 
how much niore you, ye of little faith? 



CHAPTER VII. 

Kwowledge of God — God considered in his works. 
End of third day and beginning of the fourth day of 
the Creation. 

■ Q. What else did God do on the third day } 

A. On the third day, God also created the trees of 
every kind. The earth, which thus far was only a 
vast prairie, became on a sudden an immense orchard, 
planted with every sort of trees, loaded with fruits of a 
thousand different kinds. 

Q. Why has God created the fruit trees ? 

A. God has created the fruit trees for our wants and 
our pleasure. He shows us his paternal tenderness by 
giving us, in fruits, a food as wholesome as it is pleas- 
ant and very cheap ; and he shows us his paternal ten- 
derness by sending us these fruits at the season when 
we most need them. 

Q. Did not God create other trees also ? 

A. God created many other trees which do not fur- 
nish us with food. These trees are very useful ; with 
their wood we build houses and ships, make furniture 
and cook our food ; they afford us shade, purify the 
air, and charm the sight by the grandeur of their size 
and the beauty of their verdure. 



40 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Do we see all the riches of the earth ? 

A. We do not see aJl the riches of the earth. The 
bowels of the earth are full of precious and useful 
metals, such as gold and iron. God has given us these 
metals to use, and not that we should attach our hearts 
to them. 

Q. What did God do on the fourth day ? 

A. On the fourth day God created the sun, the moon 
and the stars; the sun to preside over the day, and the 
moon to preside over the night. 

Q. Why were the sun, moon and stars not created 
until the fourth day ^ 

A. They were not created until the fourth day in 
order to teach man that they are not the authors of the 
productions of the earth. God wished thereby to pre- 
vent idolatry. 

Q. Why is the sun so far removed from the earth ? 

A. The sun is so far removed from the earth, that it 
may give us light without dazzling the sight, and that 
it may warm without burning us. If the sun were 
nearer, the earth w^ould be burnt and sterile ; if it were 
farther, the earth would be frozen. The same thing 
would happen if the sun were either larger or smaller. 

Q. What further do you remark wuth respect to the 
sun? 

A. 1 remark that the sun rises and sets every day, 
runs his course with great velocity, illumines and 
vivifies all nature. It is in this an image of Christ, 
who having gone forth from the bosom of his Father, 
returned into heaven, after having enlightened all men 
by his doctrine, and sanctified them by his merits and 
his example. 

Q. Does the sun rise every day at the same point .^ 

A. The sun does not rise every day at the same 
point, and this is the reason why the days are unequal. 
Each day God marks the point where the sun shall rise 
and where it shall set, in order that he may dispense 
his heat and his light upon the unjust as well as the 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 41 

just. Onr heavenly Father wished to teach us, by 
this, to love all men without exception, because they 
are all our brothers. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Knoicledge of God — God considered in his works. 

End of the fourth day of the Creation, 

Q. What else did God do on the fourth day ? 

A. On the fourth day God also made the moon to 
preside over the night. This beautiful planet renders 
us the greatest services. It lessens the great darkness 
of the night, it regulates the labors of the field, it affords 
light to the traveler by night, and at each instant re- 
veals to us the wisdom of the Creator, for the moon, 
like the sun, changes each day the hour of rising and 
setting. 

. Q. What more did God do ? 

.. A. God also made the stars, whose number, size, 
and continual, regular motion show forth the glory of 
our heavenly Father and challenge our gratitude. 

Q. How so ? 

A The stars render us great services ; the polar star, 
for instance, directs our course both by land and sea ; 
the other stars diminish the darkness in the absence of 
the moon. If these stars were nearer to us, they 
would dazzle the sight or burn the earth ; if they were 
farther off, they would be useless. 

Q. Why has God created the sun and moon ? 

A. God has created the sun and moon, in order to 
separate the day from the night, and regulate the order 
of the seasons. The light, the heat and the opportu- 
nity to labor without fear at our daily avocations, are 
some oi the many blessings conferred upon us by th© 
day, and deserve all our gratitude. 
4* 



42 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What are the blessings of the night ? 

A. The night also brings us a great many blessings : 
1st. It instructs us by withdrawing from our use and 
our sight the creatures which surround us. It recalls to 
our mind the nothingness from which we have sprung, 
and the darkness of idolatry from which w^e have been 
freed by the gospel. 2d. The night brings us rest and 
sleep, but it does it gently and with deference, to 
teach us that all things are made for us, and ourselves 
for God. 3d. The night refreshes the air, and pre- 
serves the herbs and plants, which w^ould perish if the 
sun were to remain always above the horizon. 4th. 
It secures our lives against the wild beasts. These 
beasts go forth during night to seek their prey, but if 
there were no night, hunger would force them to go 
forth during the day, and thus man would be inces- 
santly exposed to their fury. 

Q. What other service do we derive from the sun 
and moon ? 

A. We derive another service from the sun and 
moon ; they regulate the order of the seasons. The 
four seasons are necessary: the spring prepares, the 
summer ripens, the fall lavishes the productions of 
which we have need, and winter gives rest to the tired 
earth. 

Q. What are the blessings and instructions of each 
season ? 

A. The spring renews all nature and teaches us the 
shortness of growth and life. Summer gives us a 
portion of those things which are necessary for us, and 
teaches us that when arrived at the age of reason, we 
must above all things labor for heaven. The fall tills 
our houses with its blessings, but at the same time 
warns us not to attach our hearts to them. Finally, 
winter enables us to enjoy the blessings given us by 
the other seasons, and it bids us be charitable to those 
\vho suffer from cold and hunger. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 43 

CHAPTER IX. 

Knowledge of God — God considered in his works. 
Fifth day of the Creation, 

Q. What did God do on the fifth day ? 

A. On the fifth day God made the fishes and the 
birds. This new species of creatures, more perfect 
than those which preceded them, affords us a new sub- 
ject of admiration. 1st. Jt is a wonder that the fishes 
can live in the sea, which is salty and produces no- 
thing. 2d. It is also a wonder that their race has not 
long since been destroyed. For the larger ones contin- 
ually pursue the smaller, whilst there is nothing to 
defend them. To protect themselves, they fly towards 
the shore, whither the larger fishes cannot follow them. 
But in thus giving shelter to the smaller, the larger, it 
would seem, are left to perish by being deprived of 
their prey, ^uch indeed would be the case if God had 
not provided for their wants by sending them shoals of 
little creatures which they swallow by thousands. 
All these fishes of the sea would perish with cold, if 
they were not warmly protected by their scales and 
their oil. 

Q. What advantages do we derive from the fishes? 

A. We derive many advantages from the fishes; 
their flesh feeds us, and their bones serve for many 
purposes; there are some which every year visit our 
coasts and are taken, others ascend our streams to their 
very sources in order to carry to all men the blessings 
of the Creator. 

Q. What else did God do on the fifth day? 

A. On the fifth day God also created the birds. Like 
the fishes they also sprang from the sea, and this is 
a great miracle that the sea should in the twinkling 
of an eye have produced two species of creatures so 
different. The birds are a new proof of the infinite 
wisdom of the Lord. 



44 CATECHISBI OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. How so ? 

A. 1st. By the structure of their bodies, which are 
wonderfully adapted for flying through the air. 2d. By 
their preservation, for they are provided with every 
thing necessary to protect them from the air and rain, and 
also the means to procure their subsistence. 3d. By 
their nests, for they know that they will need nests, and 
when they should make them, as well as the form and 
size they ought to give them. It is not man, but God 
who has taught them all this. 4th. Finally, by their 
instinct, for they change their character and habits as 
soon as they have eggs to hatch or young to feed. 
These little creatures, previously such ramblers, so con- 
stantly flying about, so avaricious and such gluttons, 
now become sedentary, courageous, and moderate in 
their appetites. 



CHAPTER X. 

Knowledge of God — God considered in his works. End 
of the fifth and beginning of the sixth day of the 
Creation, 

Q. What further remark do you make on the bifds ? 

A. [ further remark that they change from one 
country to another every year. At the approach of 
winter they pass into those regions where they can 
find the food and warmth not to be elsewhere obtained. 
They make their passage at the proper time, without 
guide, or map, or provisions, and yet they never fail 
to reach their destination. It is Providence who feeds 
them and conducts them. 

Q. Of what utility are birds? 

A, Birds are of great utility; their flesh feeds us, 
their feathers serve for a thousand purposes, their song 
delights us, and they deliver us from swarms of insects. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 45 

whose too great number would otherwise destroy the 
fruits and harvests. 

Q. Of what does God's goodness to birds remind us ? 

A. God's goodness to birds reminds us of these 
words of our Lord : '* Are not two sparrows sold for a 
farthing ? Jlnd yet not one of them shall fall to the 
ground without your Father. Fear not, therefm^e, you 
are of more value than many sparrows.'^ 

Q. What did God do on the sixth day ? 

A. On the sixth day God first created the domestic 
animals ; by domestic animals are meant all the beasts 
destmed to obey man, to aid him in his labor, and fur- 
nish him with food and raiment. It is for man, sinful 
man, they were created. 

Q. What are the principal qualities of the domestic 
animals ? 

A. The principal qualities of the domestic animals 
are: their docility, for they obey even a child; their 
moderation in food, they eat but little, and are satisfied 
with such of the productions of the earth as are of 
least value; finally, the friendship they have for us; 
they know their masters and are always ready to 
serve them. 

Q. What are the chief services they render us ? 

A. Their chief services are to transport our produce, 
or |arry us with speed from one place to another ; to 
till the fields, feed us with their milk and clothe us 
with their fleeces. 

Q. What else did God do on the sixth day ? 

A. On the sixth day also, God created the insects 
and reptiles. The wisdom and power of God do not 
shine forth less brilliantly in the creation of the small- 
est insect, than in the creation of the firmament. 

Q. How is that shown .? 

A. It is shown: 1st. By the rich dress with which 
he has adorned the insects ; he has clothed them with 
loyal magnificence, their covering displays all the 
brilliancy of the purple, of gold, of diamonds and all 
the richest colors. 2d. By the means given them for 



46 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

their defence. 3d. By the instruments furnished them 
for labor, for each one has his trade. Some are weav- 
ers, as the spider, others are distillers, as the bee. All 
are chemists and mathematicians, that is, they know 
perfectly how to distinguish the plants which suit 
them, they know how to build their habitations so as 
to render them warm, commodious, agreeable and suf- 
ficient to lodge themselves and their families. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Knowledge of God — God considered in his works, 3 
End of the sixth day of the Creation. 

What does the ant teach us ? 

A. The ant like all the other creatures teaches us to 
glorify God. It teaches us also to use forethought and 
industry in our labor; finally, it teaches the tenderness 
parents should have for their children, and the care 
they should take of their education. 

Q. What do the bees teach us ? 

A. The bees teach us to respect our superiors, to 
love and aid our neighbors. They also invite us to 
thank their Creator and our own, for it is by his orders 
and for us they make their honey. % 

Q. What does the silk worm teach us } 

A. The silk worm teaches us: 1st. How great is the 
power of God, who from a simple worm produces a 
source of riches for whole provinces. 2d. How agree- 
able humility is to God, since in religion, as in nature, 
he makes use of the little and the humble to perform 
his greatest works. 8d. How foolish we are to take 
pride in our dress, since the most costly dresses are 
only the cast-off clothes of a worm. 

Q. What service do the reptiles and wild animals 
render us } 

A. The reptiles and wild animals render us many 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 47 

services. They teach us to respect and fear God, 
whose power has created so many terrible animaJs, and 
whose paternal arm, which keeps them confined to the 
deserts and rocks, could let them loose whenever he 
pleases. They also furnish us with costly furs, and 
eat up the dead bodies of other animals, which if not 
removed from the earth would corrupt the air. 

Q. What should we think of those things w^hich we 
cannot comprehend in nature ? 

• A. We should think : 1st. That like the rest, they 
are the work of a God infinitely good and infinitely 
wise. 2d. That they are useful, because they form a 
part of the creation, of which they help to make up the 
whole. 3d. They make us know and feel our igno- 
rance, and teach us to believe the mysteries of religion. 
4th. That a great number of them exercise our virtue, 
expiate our sins, and thus contribute to our sanctifica- 
tion, which is the object God proposed to himself in 
creating the world. 

Q. What is meant by saying all is harmony in the 
world ? 

A. In saying that all is harmony in the world, we 
mean that all the parts of the universe have reference 
the one to the other. That they presuppose one an- 
other, and that, like the wheels of a watch, they are 
interlinked with one another, and that if the smallest 
thing should be added"to or taken from it, the equi- 
librium would be destroyed, and neither order nor 
beauty would remain. 

Q. In what light should we look upon the world.? 

A. We should look upon the world as a book in 
which God has written his existence, his goodness, his 
wisdom, his power; our duty towards him, towards 
our neighbor and towards ourselves. If we know how^ 
to read this beautiful book, w^e shall see God present 
every where, and this thought will sanctify us, by- 
filling us with respect, confidence and love. 



48 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

CHAPTER XII. 

Knowledge of Man, — Man considered in himself. 

Q. What else did God do on the sixth day ? 

A. On the sixth day also God made man, saying, 
Let us make man to our image and likeness. The 
world existed as a magnificent book, in which God 
had written his adorable perfections, but there was no 
one to read it ; the world was a brilliant palace, but 
there was no master to inhabit and enjoy it. There- 
fore God made man. 

Q. Why did God make man last ? 

A. God made man last because man is the master of 
all creatures, and it was proper that all things should 
be prepared to receive him. 

Q. Why did God say, Let us make man f 

A. God said. Let us make man, and not, Let man be 
made. In order to show us the grandeur of the work 
he was about to make, he consults with himself, he 
deliberates, and finally says, Let us make man. He 
then took slime of the earth, and out of it formed the 
body of man, after which he gave him a soul. Thus 
man is composed of body and soul. 

Q. What does the body of man proclaim? 

A. The body of man, in the first place, proclaims 
the power and infinite wisdom of God; secondly, it 
marks the dignity of man. To the eyes of reason, our 
body is a master-piece worthy of admiration, and to 
the eyes of faith it is a living temple of the Holy 
Ghost, worthy of the most profound respect. 

Q. What is the soul ? 

A. It is the spiritual, free and immortal principle 
which thinks, wills and acts in us. 

Q. How is our soul spiritual 1 
A. Our soul is spiritual, that is, it has neither length, 
breadth, nor thickness ; it can neither be seen by our 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 49 

eyes, nor touched by our hands ; it is spiritual, because 
alJ its operations are spiritual. 

Q. Is our soul free ? 

A. Our soul is free, that is, it can will or not will, 
act or not act. Visible creatures are not free, because 
their acts are always and invariably the same. We 
feel that we are free, because we experience joy when- 
ever we do good, and sorrow whenever we do evil. 

Q. Is our soul immortal ? 

A. Our soul is immortal, that is, it will never die; 
it cannot be dissolved like the body, because it has no 
parts. God alone could annihilate our soul, but he has 
said that he will never annihilate it, but will reward 
or punish it for all eternity. 

Q. How was man made to the image of God ? 

A. Man was made to the image of God, because 
God is a pure spirit, and man, as to his soul, is also a 
pure spirit: God is free and eternal, and man by his 
soul is free and immortal. God is the king of the 
whole universe, and man is the vicegerent of God, 
and the lord of all that surrounds him. All things 
have reference to God — all things have reference to 
man, and therefore man should refer himself and all 
things to God From this w^e should conclude that we 
are beings truly great, and that we ought greatly to 
fear doing any thing unworthy of us. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Knowledge of Man — Man considered in his relations to 
creatures, 

Q. What do man's relations with creatures show us ? 

A. The relations of man with creatures show us 
the goodness of God and the dignity of our nature. 
Man was created to be, 1st. The master. 2d. The 
usufructuary. 3d. The high-priest of the universe. 
5 



50 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What is meant by man's being the master of the 
universe? 

A. Man is master of the universe, that is, God has 
given him command over all creatures. As long as 
man remained innocent, all creatures submitted freely to 
his vs^ill; but they revolted against him as soon as he 
revolted against God. He has not, however, lost all 
his power over them. 

Q. What is meant by man's being the usufructuary 
of the universe ? 

A. Man is the usufructuary of the universe, that is, 
he enjoys all creatures, and they all have reference to 
him. This is effected by means of his five senses, the 
sight, the hearing, the smell, the taste and the touch, 
by which he appropriates all creatures to himself and 
makes them serve for his use and pleasure. In eating 
a piece of bread, we enjoy the labor of the whole uni- 
verse; for to produce a piece of bread and prepare it 
for use, the concurrence of all the elements, of men, 
and of God himself is necessary. 

Q. How is man the high-priest of the universe ? 

A. Man is the high-priest of the universe, that is, 
he is obliged to offer himself and all creatures up to 
God. God has made all things for his own glory; but 
creatures cannot glorify God in a manner worthy of 
him; they have neither an understanding to know him, 
a heart to love him, nor a tongue to praise and bless 
him. It is man who must discharge for them all these 
duties to their Creator. 

Q. What did God do after he had created man .' 

A. After he had created man, God constituted him 
master of the whole universe, and conducted him into 
the palace which he had prepared for him. This 
palace was a delightful garden, planted with every 
variety of trees, loaded with the most delicious fruits. 
It was called the terrestrial Paradise. When Adam 
entered Paradise God caused all the animals to come 
before him ; Adam gave to each its name, as to his 
servants, and all submitted to their new master. ' 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 51 

Q. How was man to have g:overned the world? 

A. With justice and equity, that is, to make all 
creatures serve for the glory of God and his own sanc- 
tification. Adam did this as long as he was innocent; 
we ought to imitate him, and not follow the example 
of the majority of the world, who, instead of making 
all creatures serve for the glory of God, make an abuse 
of them to offend him. 

Q. Will men always make an abuse of God's 
creatures ? 

A. Men will not always make an abuse of God's 

creatures ; for these shall one day be free from this 

abuse. Until that time they groan in being obliged to 

take part in our iniquities, and await the last judgment 

'I with impatience. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Man considered in his relations to God. 

Q. In what state was man created ? 

A. Man was created not only with all the qualities 
and all the privileges of a perfect nature, but also in 
a state of grace and supernatural justice. That is to 
say, he was created without having merited it, he was 
created exempt from miseries and infirmities, and more- 
over destined for a supernatural end. 

Q. Explain this last truth, namely, man's being 
destined to a supernatural end. 

A. Man as a finite being had a right only to a finite 
happiness, that is, to see God in his creatures as in a 
mirror. But God in his goodness destined man to see 
him face to face, for all eternity, as the angels see him 
in heaven, which is a happiness infinitely greater than 
to see him only in his creatures. 

Q. Did God owe this happiness to man? 

A. God did not owe this happiness to man, who 



52 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

could not have attained it by any virtue of his nature. 
Therefore it is called supernatural. 

Q. How can man arrive at this supernatural hap- 
piness ? 

A. Man can arrive at this supernatural happiness 
by grace, that is, by the lights and supernatural help 
which God gives him, and which do not destroy his 
nature, but perfect it. 

Q. What then is the end for which man has been 
created ? 

A. ']'he end for which man has been created, is to 
know, love and serve God on earth, in order to possess 
him and to see him face to face during all eternity. 

Q. Was man, in the state of innocence, happy? 

A. Man in the state of innocence was happy ; his ^ 
understanding knew all that it ought to know; his 
heart loved all that it ought to love ; his body vv^s ex- 
empt from infirmities and was immortal. After having 
adored, loved and contemplated God in his creatures, 
he would have gone, without suffering the pangs of 
death, to contemplate him face to face in heaven with 
the angels. 

Q. How was the first woman created ? 

A. God sent a mysterious sleep upon Adam, during 
which he took from him, without pain, one of his ribs 
and out of it formed a body, to which he gave a 
rational soul. Thus was the first woman created. On 
seeing her Adam exclaimed : This now is the bone of 
my hone and the flesh of my flesh. The Lord then 
blessed them and instituted the holy state of marriage. 

Q. What command did God give to our first parents? 

A. Thus far God had spoken to our first parents 
only of their authority and their happiness; it was but 
just that he should require the homage of their grati- 
tude. He told them to eat of all the fruits of the ter- 
restrial Paradise, except the fruit of the tree of the i^ 
knowledge of good and evil. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 53 

> Q. Were our first parents bound to obey God ? 

A. Our first parents had every reason to obey God: 
1st. This command was very just. 2d. It was very 
easy. 3d. They had all the graces necessary to keep 
it. 4th. They had every motive not to violate it; 
their happiness in this world and the next was to be 
the price of .their obedience. 

Q. By whom were they tempted ? 

A. They were tempted by the devil. God, whose 
wisdom and power are infinite, had formed creatures, 
purely material, such as the plants and animals ; others 
material and spiritual, such as man; and others purely 
spiritual, such as the angels. 

Q What are the angels ? 
' A. The angels are creatures purely spiritual and 
superior to man. Some of them revolted against God 
and were immediately punished and changed into 
devils. 



CHAPTER XV. 

r, 

' Knowledge of the Angels, 

Q. In what are the angels superior to men } 

A. The angels are superior to men in knowledge 
and power. They know much better than we the 
things we do know. They know many things which 
we do not know ; and they can do many things which 
are impossible for us. 

Q. In what state were the angels created ? 

A. All the angeJs were created in a state of inno- 
cence and sanctity, but this happy state did not render 
them impeccable; the eternal enjoyment of God was to 
be the reward of their fidelity. Some of them refused 
to humble themselves before God, and were changed 
into devils. 

5* 



64 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What is the occupation of the devils or bad 
angels ? 

A. The occupation of the bad angels is to tempt 
men, and to do us all the harm they can, as we see in 
the case of the holy man Job, The devil however 
can do us no harm without the permission of God. He 
permits him to tempt us in order to try our virtue, but 
he gives us all the graces necessary to triumph over his 
attacks. 

Q. Are there different grades of good angels ? 

A. Among the good angels there are diflerent grades. 
They are divided into three hierarchies, which contain 
each three orders; these nine orders are called the nine 
choirs of angels. The first hierarchy contains the 
Thrones, the Cherubim and the Seraphim ; the second 
contains the Powers, the Virtues and the Dominations; 
the third contains the Angels, the Archangels and the 
Principalities. 

Q. What are the duties of the good angels? 

A. The first duty of the good angels is to adore and 
praise God. St. John represents them to us as pros- 
trate with respect before the throne of his divine 
Majesty, repeating without ceasing these words : Holy, 
holy, holy Lord God Mmighty, who was, and who 
is, and who is to come, 

Q. What is the second duty of the good angels ? 

A. The second duty of the good angels is to preside 
over the government of the visible and invisible world, 
and execute the orders of God with regard to man. It 
is by the ministry of angels that the great events of the 
Old and New Testament have been accomplished. 

Q. What is the third duty of the good angels? 

A. The third duty of the good angels is to watch 
over and guard the universal church. The holy 
fathers teach us that millions of angels environ the 
sheepfold of Jesus Christ, to defend it in the continual 
war it sustains from the bad angels. They watch over 
and protect kingdoms and empires. The Scripture 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 55 

speaks of the angel guardian of the Persians and the 
Greeks, and the holy fathers tell us that each church 
has not only a bishop but also an angel for its protector. 

Q. What is the fourth duty of the good angels ? 

A. The fourth duty of the good angels is to watch 
over each one of us. At the first moment of our exist- 
ence, an angel comes to place himself at our side, to 
defend us and conduct us to heaven. He presents to 
God our prayers and our good works, and prays for us. 

Q. What must we conclude from the work of the 
six days i 

A. We must conclude : 1 st. That God is truly power- 
ful, truly wise and truly good. 2d. That man is truly 
a great being, since all the inferior creatures were 
made only in reference to him, and that even the 
angels labor continually for him. 3d. That we ought 
to love God, use all things for his glory and to have a 
great respect for ourselves. 4th. That we ought to 
observe the Sunday with great fidelity. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
The fall of Man. 

Q. With what punishment did God menace our 
first parents .' 

A. The punishment with which God had threatened 
our first parents was death to both body and soul. He 
had said to them, In what day soever thou shalt eat of it, 
thou shalt die the death. They were guilty of revolt 
like the angels, and like them they deserved to be 
treated ; if God did not execute his threat, it is owing 
entirely to his great mercy. 

Q. How did our first parents fall ? 

A. The devil in the shape of a serpent deceived the 
woman, by saying to her that if they ate of the forbid- 
den fruit they should become gods. The woman 



53 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

being deceived, ate of it and then offered it to her hus- 
band. Adam was not deceived, but to please his \vife 
he also ate of the forbidden fruit. 

Q. In what condition did they find themselves after 
their fail ? 

A. After their fall, remorse and shame seized upon 
their conscience, and they sought to hide themselves 
among the trees of the garden. The Lord called them 
before him and pronounced upon them a just con- 
demnation. 

Q. What punishment did he pronounce upon the 
serpent ? 

A. He condemned the serpent to crawl upon the 
earth and to eat the dust. God wished to show how 
hateful the devil was to him, by punishing the reptile 
which had been the instrument of his crime. He 
moreover said to it : / will put enmities between thee 
and the woman, and thy seed and her seed : she shall 
crush thy head. These words announced a Redeemer 
to come. 

Q. What punishment did he pronounce upon our 
first parents ? 

A. He condemned the woman to bring forth with 
pain, and to be subject to her husband; he condemned 
man to gain his bread with the sweat of his brow, and 
to undergo all the miseries of nature and death. He 
also deprived him of all his supernatural privileges. 

Q. What do you remark on this punishment? 

A. In this punishment 1 remark a great mercy of 
God. He had the right to execute the sentence of 
death on our first parents the moment they sinned 
yet he did not do it; he granted them time for repent- 
ance. He did more, he gave them the means; he 
announced to them a Redeemer, and thus left them the 
hope of being one day restored to his favor. 

Q. What did God then do? 

A. Then God, touched with compassion for our first 
parents, gave them clothes to cover themselves. After 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 57 

this they went forth from the terrestrial Paradise, and a 
cherub, armed with a flaming sword, was placed at the 
entrance to prevent their return. 

Q. Did Adam do penance ? 

A. Adam did penance for his sin during nine hun- 
dred and thirty years, and had the happiness to recover 
the favor of God and to die in his love. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Justice reconciled with divine mercy in the punishment 
ofonginal sin» 

Q. What was the justice of God in the punishment 
of original sin ? 

A. The justice of God in the punishment of original 
sin was perfect and free from all reproach. 1st. The 
command which God had given to our first parents was 
easy to keep. 2d. It was all-important; it was the 
exterior mark of the fidelity which God required of 
them in gratitude for the great blessings heaped upon 
them, and to which he had attached their happiness. 
3. It was perfectly lawful, for it was God himself who 
had given it, and God is surely free to confer his 
favors on such conditions as he chooses. 

Q. What are the eflfects of original sin ? 
. A. The eflfects of original sin are, 1st. Privation of 
sanctifying grace. 2. Ignorance, concupiscence, suf- 
ferings and death. 

Q. How did God show his mercy in the punishment 
of original sin } 

A. The mercy of God in the punishment of original 
sin, was as perfect as his justice. Instead of punish- 
ing our first parents with death the moment they 
sinned, as he had a right to do, God granted them time 
for repentance and gave them the means of repenting, 



58 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 



by promising them a Saviour, who should restore to 
them all the blessings they had lost, and confer even 
greater ones. 

Q. What was the cause of this mercy ? 

A. The cause of this great mercy was the Eternal 
Word, the only Son of God, who offered himself to 
his Father to expiate the sin of our first parents. 

Q How did God reconcile the rights of his justice 
with those of his mercy, in the punishment of original 
sin ? 

A. To reconcile the claims of his justice, which re- 
quired the punishment of man, with those of mercy, 
which called aloud for his pardon, God accepted the 
death of one man in the place of all men, and in con- 
sideration of this Man, a victim for all, he forgives all 
other men. 

Q. What shall this man be ? 

A. He shall be the object of all the rigor of God's 
justice, since he will be loaded with the sins of all 
men. He will also be infinitely loved by God, since 
in consideration of him, God will pardon all men. 
This mediator will be the man-God. Man, that he 
may be capable of sufferings ; God^ in order to give 
infinite merit to his sufferings. 

Q. Could man have been saved except through this 
mediator ? 

A. No man could have been saved except through 
this mediator, because he alone, being a man-God, can 
expiate sin, and re-establish between God and man the 
supernatural union w^hich sin had destroyed. 

Q. How were those men saved who lived before the 
coming of the mediator? 

A. The men who lived before the coming of the 
mediator were saved also by the merits of this mediator. 
In order thereto, they had to believe in him. This 
faith in a mediator has always been necessary, at all 
times, before as well as since his coming. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 59 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

JYecessity and peiyetuity of faith in the mysteiij of the 
Redemption. — Histmij of Job. 

Q. Was our Saviour born for all men without 
exception. 

A. Our Saviour vras born for all men without ex- 
ception. He is the Saviour of all, says the apostle, but 
more so of the faithfid. 

Q. VViiat must we conclude from this? 
- A. From this we must conclude that God has given 
to all men, at all times, the necessary graces to acquire 
a sufficient knowledge of the mystery of redemption, and 
to work out their salvation. 

Q. Elucidate this truth. 
. A. ft is certain that the Jews have always expected 
a Redeemer. This expectation was the first article of 
their creed. As to the pagans, they like the Jews 
were children of Adam and Noah, In wandering 
from the parent home, they carried with them, the 
tradition of the fall of man, and the first promise of a 
Redeemer. 

Q. Were not these traditions altered ? 

A. Yes, these traditions were altered by gross fables. 
But we find portions of them sufficiently marked in the 
history of all the pagan people. Moreover St. Thomas 
says that the revelation of the Redeemer was made to 
a great number of gentiles. Finally there were among 
the gentiles persons who foretold the birth of the Re- 
deemer, and were as prophets for the gentiles. 

Q. Who of them was the most celebrated 1 

A. The most celebrated of these prophets among the 
gentiles was the holy man Job. He was an eastern 
prince, he feared God and served him in all the up- 
rightness of his heart ; he was extremely rich. God 
permitted the devil to put his virtue to the test. In a 
single day the devil took from Job all his riches, and 



60 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

caused the death of all his ten children. On hearing 
this afflicting news, Job contented himself by saying, 
with great resignation, The Lord gave and the Lord 
hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord, 

Q. Continue the history of Job. 

A. The devil, exasperated at not being able to make 
Job murmur against God, demanded permission to 
afflict his person ; he obtained permission, and Job was 
immediately covered from head to foot with a most dis- 
gusting, horrible leprosy. Poor, sick and disgusting, 
he was obliged to sit down on a dunghill, and with 
pieces of broken pot-sherds scrape off the matter run- 
ning: from his ulcers. 

Q. What other trial had Job to undergo } 

A. Job had also a very painful trial to undergo. His 
wife upbraided him in his misery, and told him to curse 
God. Job replied to her: Thou hast spoken like one 
of the foolish women ; if we have received good things 
at the hand of God, why shrndd we not receive evil ? 

Q. What else happened? 

A. Three princes, friends of Job, having learned his 
misfortunes, came to visit him. They maintained that 
Job had been guilty of some sin, since God punished 
him thus. Job replied that he was innocent ; his friends 
would not believe him. It was then that Job pro- 
nounced this beautiful prophecy of the Redeemer: / 
know that my Redeemer liveth ; and in the last day I 
shall rise out of the earth. Jind I shall be clothed again 
with my skin, and in my flesh I shall see my Gody 
the witness of my innocence. 

Q. Did God abandon the holy man Job ? 

A. God did not abandon the holy man Job. He 
vindicated his innocence, and required his friends to 
offer up a sacrifice of expiation. Job prayed for them, 
and God forgave them the pain they had caused that 
holy man. Afterw^ards God gave to Job again as 
many children as he had before, gave him two-fold 
greater riches, and granted him a long life and a holy 
death. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 61 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Knowledge of Religion ; — it is a great grace. 

Q. How must we consider religion ? 

A. We must consider religion as a great favor, con- 
ferred upon us by God. 

Q. Explain this truth. 

A. By a goodness altogether gratuitous, God has 
destined man to a supernatural happiness, and has 
given him all the means to attain it. Religion, which 
is the assemblage of all these means, is therefore a 
great favor and a great grace. 

Q. What is grace ? 

A. Grace is a supernatural aid which God, in virtue 
of the merits of Jesus Christ, gratuitously gives to 
men, whereby they may work out their salvation. 

Q. How many kinds of grace are there i 

A. There are two kinds of grace; exterior graces 
and interior graces. Exterior graces are the sensible 
aids which God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, 
gives us to work out our salvation. 

Q. Illustrate this answer. 

A. In the Old Testament, the promises, figures, and 
predictions of the Messiah, the law given on Mount 
Sinai, the Decalogue, the sacrifices, the teachings of 
the prophets, the examples of the just — in a word, the 
whole Jewish religion was a great grace, an exterior 
grace. The same may be said of the Christian re- 
ligion, with all its miracles, discourses and examples of 
our Saviour, the apostles, the saints, and all the 
teachings of the church. 

Q, What is interior grace ? 

A. Interior grace is whatever touches our heart in- 
teriorly ; enlightens our understanding, strengthens our 
will, and induces it to work out our salvation. Interior 
graces, like the exterior, are innumerable. 
6 



62 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What ought we to know respecting grace ? 

A. We must know respecting grace, 1st, that it is 
gratuitous, that is, we are indebted for it solely to the 
merits of Jesus Christ; 2d, that he who profits well by 
the graces received, acquires, in virtue of the promises 
of God, a right to new graces ; 3d, that grace is abso- 
lutely necessary for us, that without it we can do no- 
thing; with it we can do all things in order to salvation ; 
4th, that grace, far from trammeling our liberty, per- 
fects it; 5th, that grace is more precious than all 
natural goods, since it conducts us to eternal happiness. 



CHAPTER XX. 

What is Religion ? 

Q. What is religion? 

A. Religion, according to St. Augustin, is the bond 
which unites man to God; in other words, religion is 
the society of man with God. 

Q. Explain this answer. 

A. Between parents and children there exist ties, or 
natural and sacred relations. In the same manner 
there exist relations between God, the creator and father 
of man, and man, who is the creature and child of 
God. The ties which exist between God and man are 
even more sacred than those which unite a son to a 
father. 

Q. Why so ? 

A. Because we owe more to God than a son owes to 
his father; God is our creator and our last end, (which 
cannot be said of our earthly fathers.) From which 
we must conclude that our obligations to God are 
much more holy than are the obligations of children to 
their parents. 

Q. What does the word religion signify ? 

A. The word religion signifies the tie by excellence. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 63 

or the re-tieing. The tie by excellence, because re- 
h'gion unites us in a supernatural manner to God, who 
is the nnost perfect of beings; the re-tieing, because our 
Lord, by ofiering himself up to his father as a victim 
for us, has re-established the supernatural union which 
existed between God and man previous to original sin. 

Q. Is there any other religion than the religion of 
Jesus Christ ? 

A. No, there is no other religion than the religion 
of Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ alone, as both 
God and man, could expiate sin, reconcile man to God, 
and re-establish the supernatural tie which united them. 

Q. Is the true religion, or religion of Jesus Christ 
of ancient date? 

A. The religion of Jesus Christ is as ancient as the 
world. For it goes back to the time when the Son of 
God offered himself to his Father to redeem man, and 
has always had as the object of its faith and its hope 
this same Mediator and the same rewards. 

Q. Has religion been at all times as fully taught as 
it is at the present day ? 

A. No, religion has not been at all times as fully 
taught as it is at the present day. But it has not on 
that account ceased to be the same religion, no more 
than man, by passing through the difierent stages of life, 
ceases to be the same man. 

Q. What difference is there between the faithful who 
preceded and those who have come after the Messiah ? 

A. The difference is that the ancient just believed in 
Jesus Christ to come, whilst we believe in Jesus Christ 
already come. Our faith, our hope, our religion is the 
same as that of the patriarchs and prophets. 

Q. Why did God delay so long the coming of the 
Messiah ? 

A. He delayed the coming of the Messiah so long, 
1st, in order that man might know, by a long experience 
of his miseries, the need he had of a Redeemer, and 
that he might desire his coming more ardently. 2d, in 



64 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

order that Jesus Christ should be recognized as the 
Messiah, seeing that all the figures, all the promises, 
all the prophecies were acconnplished and verified in 
him. 

Q. What has been the object of all the designs of 
God since the commission of original sin ? 

A. The object of all the designs of God, since the com- 
mission of original sin, has been to save man. Before 
the coming of the Messiah, all his designs had for their 
end to prepare man's redemption ; and since the com- 
ing, to maintain and extend its blessings to all men. 

Q. What fruit do we derive from this truth ? 

A. The fruit we ought to derive from this truth is, 
to love God as he has loved us, constantly and solely. 

Q, Why has God made known the mystery of the 
redemption only by degrees ? 

A. God has made known the mystery of the redemp- 
tion only by degrees, in order to meet man's weakness. 
A great many previous miracles were necessary to dis- 
pose man to believe this greatest of all miracles. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

The Messiah promised and prefigured — First Promise, 
— Mam and Mel the first and second figures or 
types of the Messiah. 

Q. How did God make known the Redeemer to 
come ? 

A. God made knowm the Redeemer to come, 1st, by 
promises, 2d, by figures, and 3d, by prophecies, 

Q. What do you understand by figures of the Mes- 
siah ? 

A. By figures of the Messiah, I understand certain 
actions, certain events, certain personages, w^hich re- 
presented beforehand the characteristics and actions of 
the Messiah. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 65 

Q. How do we know that the patriarchs, the sacri- 
fices and the whole Jewish people were a figure of the 
Messiah ? 

A. We know that the patriarchs, the sacrifices and 
the whole Jewish people w^ere a figure of the iVlessiah, 
1st, on the authority of our Lord himself, of the apostles 
and evangelists ; St. Paul in particular says that Jesus 
Christ is the end of the Mosaic law, and that whatever 
happened to the Jews was a figure of what was accom- 
plished among Christians. 2d, on the authority of 
the fathers of the church; St. Augustine says that the 
w^hole Jewish people were only a grand figure of the 
Messiah. 3d, by the conformity or resemblance of 
the figures to our Lord, for in looking at several por- 
traits of the same person, drawn by different artists, 
no one would say that all these portraits resemble the 
person merely by chance. 

Q. Did the patriarchs and ancient Jews know, in 
general, the sense of the promises, figures, and prophe- 
cies of the Redeemer ? 

A. The patriarchs and ancient Jews knew, in gene- 
ral, the sense of the promises, figures, and prophecies 
of the Redeemer, the better instructed among them had 
a clear knowledge of it, the rest had what was neces- 
sary for their salvation. 

Q. Which is the first promise of a Messiah ? 

A. The first promise of the Messiah is that made by 
God to our first parents in the terrestrial Paradise; he 
said to the serpent, the woman shall crush thy head. 

Q. What was the first figure of the Messiah ? 

A. The first figure of the Messiah is Adam. Adam 
is the father of all men according to the flesh ; our 
Lord is the father of all men according to the spirit. 
Adam sleeps, and out of one of his ribs God forms for 
him a companion, who is to be always united to him 
and to give him a numerous posterity ; our Lord dies on 
the cross, and from his opened side God raises up the 
church with which our Lord will be united till the end 
6* 



66 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

of ages, and which shall give him a great number of 
children. 

Q. Continue the same figure. 

A. Adam, a sinner, is driven from Paradise, and is 
condemned to labor, sufferings, and death ; our Lord, 
loaded with the sins of the world, descends from hea- 
ven, is condemned to labor, sufferings and death. He 
saves all men by his obedience as Adam had lost all 
by his disot)edience. 

Q. What is the second figure of the Messiah ? 

A. The second figure of the Messiah is Abel. Abel 
offers a sacrifice which is agreeable to God. Our Lord 
oflfers a sacrifice which is infinitely more agreeable to 
God, his Father. The innocent Abel is conducted into 
the field and put to death by Cain his brother ; our 
Lord, innocence itself, is led out of Jerusalem and put 
to death by the Jews, his brethren. The blood of Abel 
cries to heaven for vengeance ; the blood of our Lord 
cries for mercy for us. Cain, the murderer of Abel, is 
condemned to wander a vagabond on the face of the 
earth ; the Jews, the murderers of our Lord, are con- 
demned to wander over the earth without priest, with- 
out king, without sacrifice. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

The Messiah promised and •prefigured, — JVoah the 
third figure, A. C, 2348. 

Q. What is the name of the son whom God gave to 
bur first parents in place of Abel ? 

A. The son whom God gave to our first parents to 
replace Abel, was named Seth. He it was that pre- 
served the true worship of God upon the earth. 

Q. How were the descendants of JSeth called ? 

A. The descendants of Seth were called the children 
of God, because they lived according to the spirit of 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 67 

religion — the descendants of Cain, on the contrary, 
were called the children of rpen, because they aban- 
doned themselves to all the corrupt propensities of 
the heart. 

Q. Did God send any one to recall the children of 
men to repentance ? 

A. To recall the children of men to repentance God 
sent Enoch. He never ceased to exhort them to be 
converted to God. God afterwards took him up to 
heaven alive, whence he shall return before the end of 
the world to ex,hort sinners to repentance. 

Q. Did the children of God remain always faithful 
to the Lord ? 

A. The children of God did not remain always faith- 
ful to the Lord. They formed alliances with the chil- 
dren of men, who corrupted them, and the earth was 
soon sullied with crimes. 

Q. How did God punish mankind? 

A. God punished mankind by the deluge. The earth 
and the highest mountains were covered with water 
during one hundred and forty days. 

Q. Did all men perish in the deluge? 

A. Noah and his family, in all eight persons, were 
saved in the ark, together with animals of each kind, 
to re-people the earth. 

Q. What is the ark ? 

A. The ark was a large vessel which Noah con- 
structed by the order of God, and into which he en- 
tered at the moment of the deluge. He was one hun- 
dred and twenty years building it; God wishing thereby 
to give sinners time for repentance. 

Q. What did Noah do on leaving the ark ? 

A. Noah on leaving the ark testitied his gratitude 
to the Lord by offering up a sacrifice to him. The 
Lord promised him never again to destroy the world 
by a deluge. 

Q. Is Noah a figure of our Lord ? 

A. Noah is the third figure of our Lord. Noah 



68 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

signifies Consoler; Jesus signifies Saviour. Noah 
alone finds grace before God; our Lord alone finds 
grace before his Father. Noah builds an ark which 
saves him and his family from the universal deluge. 
Our Lord builds his church to save from eternal death 
all who are willing to enter it. The higher the waters 
rose the nearer to heaven the ark mounted ; the 
more the Church experiences tribulations, the more she 
elevates herself to God. Noah was chosen to be the 
father of a new world ; our Lord was chosen to people 
the earth with the just and heaven with saints. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

The Messiah promised and 'prefigured — Second promise 
and fourth figure of the Messiah. — Melchisedech, 
A. C. 2247-1921. 

Q. What happened after the deluge .^ 

A. After the deluge the life of man was perceptibly 
shortened. The long stay of the waters on the earth 
enfeebled the strength of the plants, corrupted the air, 
and caused nature to lose her primitive vigor. 

Q. Who were the sons of Noah } 

A. The sons of Noah were Sem, Cham and Japhet; 
and from them have sprung all the people of the earth. 

Q. Were they all three blessed by their father ? 

A. Cham, having been wanting in respect for his 
father, the holy patriarch cursed him in the person of 
Chanaan, and his malediction produced its effect. 

Q. What did the descendants of Noah do before 
separating ? 

A. Before separating, the descendants of Noah un- 
dertook to build a city and a tower whose summit 
should reach the heavens, in order to immortalize their 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 69 

name and secure them against a future deluge. This 
was an evil purpose and God did not bless it. 

Q. How did God prevent the execution of their pur- 
pose? 

A. God prevented its execution by confounding the 
language of men. Being no longer able to understand 
one another, they were compelled to abandon the work. 
For this reason the tower was called Babel, that is, 
confusion. 

Q. What became of men after the confusion of lan- 
guage ? 

A. They separated in large families, and removing 
farther and farther, by degrees they peopled the 
whole earth. They carried with them the knowledge 
of the principal truths of religion and the remembrance 
of the great events which had happened after the 
deluge. Hence it is that we find amongst all the people 
of the earth, traditions of those memorable events. 

Q. Did people long preserve the true religion ? 

A. People did not long preserve the true religion. 
Blinded by their passions they disowned the true God, 
and in his place, adored creatures — then commenced 
idolatry. 

Q. What did the Lord do to preserve on the earth 
the knowledge of the true religion and especially the 
memory of the great promise of a Redeemer ? 

A. To preserve the true religion, and especially the 
memory of the great promise of the Redeemer, God 
chose a particular people to be the depositary of both. 
The Jews were this chosen people — their father was 
Abraham, the son of Thare, a descendant of Sem. 

Q. What did God promise Abraham? 

A. God promised Abraham that all nations should 
be blessed in him who should come out of him, that 
is, God promised him that from him should be born 
the Messiah. This second promise excludes all other 
people, and shows us that we must look, for the future, 
among the posterity of Abraham for the Saviour. 



70 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 



Q. What was the fourth figure of the Messiah ? 

A. The fourth figure of the Messiah was Melchise- 
dech. MeJchisedech si2:niiles King of Justice; our 
Lord is justice itself. Melchisedech was priest of the 
Most High; our Lord is the Priest by excellence. 
Melchisedech blessed Abraham; our Lord blesses the 
church represented by Abraham. Melchisedech offers 
in sacrifice bread and wine ; our Lord offers himself 
in sacrifice under the appearances of bread and w^ine. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
The Messiah promised and prejigured — Isaac the fifth 
figure afthe Messiah, A, C. 1871-1836. 

Q. After Abraham had delivered Lot, his nephew, 
what promise did God make him ? 

A. After the deliverance of Lot, God promised Abra- 
ham a son. 

Q. What was the sign of the covenant which God 
made with Abraham .? 

A. The sign of the covenant which God made with 
Abraham v^^as the ceremony of circumcision. 

Q. On what occasion did God renew to Abraham the 
promise of a son ? 

A. God renewed to the holy patriarch the promise 
of a son after he had given hospitality to three angels 
in the guise of travelers. 

Q. What are we taught by the interview between 
Abraham and God in the guise of three angels .? 

A. The interview between Abraham and God teach- 
es, 1st, with what holy familiarity God permits us to 
address him in prayer ; 2d, that the prayers and mer- 
its of a small number of the just may save a multitude 
of the guilty. For the sake of ten just, God would 
have spared five whole cities. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 71 

Q. Was no one saved from the burning of Sodom ? 

A. Lot, his wife, and his two daughters alone were 
saved from the burning of Sodom ; but the wife of 
Lot, in punishment for her curiosity, was changed into 
a pillar of salt, which was still to be seen in the time 
of the apostles. 

Q. What order did God give to Abraham ? 

A. Many years after the burning of Sodom, God or- 
dered Abraham to immolate Isaac. 

Q. How did Abraham obey the order of God ? 

A. Abraham obeyed the order of God promptly and 
without a murmur. He himself conducted his son to 
the mountain which God had shown him ; he fastened 
Isaac to the pile and was about to strike this beloved 
victim, when God, satisfied with his obedience, directed 
him to spare him. 

Q. What does the sacrifice of Isaac represent .? 

A. The sacrifice of Isaac represents that of our 
Lord. 1st, Isaac is the well-beloved son of his father 
— our Lord is the object of the divine complacency of 
God, his Father. Isaac, though innocent, is condemned 
to death; our Lord, innocence itself, is condemned to 
die. It is the father of Isaac who must immolate him ; 
it is God the Father who, by the hands of the Jews, him- 
self immolates our Lord. 2d, Isaac himself carries the 
wood which is to consume him ; our Lord himself car- 
ries the wood of the cross on which he is to die. 
Isaac suffers himself to be tied to the pile without a 
murmur ; our Lord, like a tender lamb, sufers himself 
to be raised upon the cross, ft is on Calvary that 
Isaac offers his sacrifice ; it is on Calvary also that our 
Lord offers his sacrifice. Isaac is blessed by God as a 
reward for his obedience ; our Lord, in recomjjense for 
his obedience, is blessed by God, and receives, for his 
inheritance, all the nations of the earth. 



72 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

The jy!essiah 'promised and prefigured — Third and 
fourth promises — Sixth figure of the Messiah — Jacob, 
{A. C. 1739.; 

Q. How did Abraham die ? 

A. Abraham, full of days and merits, died a holy 
death at the age of 175. He was interred by his two 
sons, Isaac and Ismael. 

Q. To which of the sons of Abraham was the third 
promise of the Messiah made ? 

A. The third promise of the Messiah was made to 
Isaac. The Lord said to him : ** / will multiply thy 
seed like the stars of heaven. . . . And in thy seed shall 
all the nations of the earth he blessed. This shows us 
much more than the preceding promises, that in the 
family of Isaac we must look for the Messiah. 

Q. How many children had Isaac ? 

A. Isaac had two children, Esau and Jacob. Gk)d, 
who is the master of his gifts, chose Jacob, although 
the younger, to be the father of the Messiah. 

Q. On what occasion did God make Jacob the prom- 
ise of the Messiah ? 

A. Jacob, on his way to Mesopotamia to seek a 
wife amongst his relations, was overtaken by night in 
the midst of the desert. In his sleep he had a dream, 
in which the Lord appeared to him and said : lam the 
Lord God of Abraham ^ thy father, and the God of 
Isaac; the land wherein thou steepest I will give to thee 
and thy seed, and in thee and in thy seed all tlie tribes 
of the earth shall be blessed. 

Q. What do you remaik on this promise ? 

A. On this promise 1 remark that it excludes Esau, 
and all the people descending from him, and that we 
must thereafter look for the Messiah among the poster- 
ity of Jacob. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 73 

Q. What did Jacob do on his arrival in Mesopo- 
tamia ? 

A. On his arrival in Mesopotamia, Jacob demanded 
his cousin Rachel in marriage ; but it was not until 
after fourteen years of painful labor, that he obtained 
the consent of his uncle, Laban. He afterwards set 
out with his family to return to his father, to whom 
he rendered the last rites. 

Q. Is Jacob a figure of our Lord ? 

A. Yes, Jacob is the sixth figure of our Lord. Jacob, 
to obey his father, went into a far distant country to 
seek for a spouse ; our Lord, to obey his father, de- 
scends from heaven on earth to unite himself to the 
church, his spouse. Jacob, although very rich, starts 
alone, and has for his pillow nothing but a stone, 
found in the desert; our Lord, the master of all 
things, has not even a stone on which to lay his head. 
Jacob is obliged to labor a long time to obtain his 
spouse. Our Lord is obliged to undergo the most 
painful labors to form the church, his spouse. Jacob 
returns to his father, with his family ; our Lord 
ascends to his Father, with all the saints of the ancient 
law, and opens heaven to alt Christians, his children 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

The Messiah promised and prejigured — Seventh Jigure 
of the Messiah— Joseph. (A. C. 1729-1689.; 

Q. Did the patriarchs possess great wealth ? 

A. The patriarchs possessed great wealth, which 
consisted chiefly of flocks and herds. They did not 
build houses; they dwelt in tents, and changed their 
places of dwelling to suit the pastures. God thus 
wished to teach us that the life of man here below is 
but a painful journey. 
7 



74 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What were the principal virtues of the patri- 
archs ? 

A. The principal virtues of the patriarchs were 
faith, which made them constantly sigh after a better 
country; charity for their neighbor, which made them 
extend a generous hospitality to strangers ; and lastly, 
temperance and sobriety, which secured to them a long 
life, exempt from infirmities. 

Q. How many sons had the patriarch Jacob ? 

A. The patriarch Jacob had twelve sons, w^ho are 
the fathers of the twelve tribes. The most celebrated 
is Joseph, who was one of the most beautiful figures of 
the Messiah. 1st. Joseph was the well beloved son of 
Jacob, his father ; our Lord is also the well beloved 
son of God, his father; Joseph was mal-treated and 
sold by his brethren to strange merchants; our Lord is 
mal-treated by the Jews, his brethren, betrayed by 
Judas, and delivered up to the Romans, who put him 
to death. 2d. Joseph is condemned for a crime of 
which he is innocent ; oar Lord is condemned for 
crimes of which he is mnocent : Joseph is found in 
prison with two criminals; he announces to one his 
pardon and to the other his punishment; our Lord is 
placed on the cross, between two malefactors; he 
promises heaven to one, and leaves the other to his 
perdition. 3d. Joseph passes from his prison to the 
throne itself of Pharao ; our Lord passes from the 
cross to the throne itself of God, his father; Joseph is 
obeyed by strangers, before he is by his own brethren ; 
our Lord is obeyed by infidel nations, before he is by 
that of the Jews ; Joseph saved his brethren from 
death when they came to him; our Lord will save the 
Jews from error when they will have embraced Chris- 
tianity. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 75 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

The Messiah promised and prefigured — Fifth promise. 
Eighth figure rf the Messiah — The Paschal Lamb, — 
(d, C, 1491. J 

Q. Did Jacob live long in Egypt ? 

A. Jacob was one hundred and twenty years old 
when he went down into Egypt ; he lived there sev- 
enteen years, honored and respected and tenderly cher- 
ished by his son Joseph. 

Q. What prophecy did Jacob make when dying ? 

A. Jacob, seeing his end approach, assembled 
around his bed his twelve sons, and announced to them 
what was to happen to their descendants. When he 
came to Juda, he spoke thus: Juda, thee shall thy 
brethren praise: the sceptre shall not be taken away 
from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till He come that 
is to be senty and he shall be the expectation of all na- 
tions. 

Q. What was the meaning of this promise ? 

A. This promise announced that the sovereign au- 
thority should reside in the tribe of Judah, until the 
coming of the Messiah, the expected of all nations. Tt 
was verified at the time of our Lord ; for Herod, an 
Idumean by nation, was the first stranger who reigned 
in Judea. This promise teaches us, further, that it is in 
the tribe of Juda, to the exclusion of all others, we 
must for the future look for the Messiah. 

Q. What happened to the children of Jacob after 
his death ? 

A. After the death of Jacob, his children multiplied 
rapidly; Joseph soon followed his father to the grave; 
a new king ascended the throne of Egypt, and op- 
pressed the Hebrews. 

Q. Whom did God make use of to deliver his 
people ? 

A. To deliver his people from the bondage of Egypt, 



76 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

God made use of Moses, and Aaron his brother. They 
both went together into the presence of Pharao, whose 
obstinacy Moses subdued by striking; Egypt with ten 
^reat calamities, which are called the ten plagues of 
Egypt. 

Q. What did the Hebrew people do before setting 
out? 

A. Before setting out, the Hebrew people immolated 
the Paschal Lamb, which is the eighth figure of the 
Messiah. This Paschal Lamb was to be without 
spot ; our Lord is the true Lamb without spot. 

Q. With what dispositions were they to eat the 
Paschal Lamb ? 

A. They who ate the Paschal Lamb were to have 
their loins girded, a stafi in their hands, and sandals on 
their feet, as travelers ready for the journey. Those 
who receive the holy communion must have their loins 
girded, that is, must be chaste ; a staff in their hand, 
that is, they must resist all evil; sandals on their feet, 
that is, they must be like travelers, ready to undertake 
any thing to arrive at heaven. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

The Messiah promised and prefigured — JYinth figure 
of the Messiah — The Manna — Sixth promise. — 
(A, C. 1491.; 

Q. What was the first miracle wrought by our Lord 
in favor of his people, when he brought them out of 
Egypt? 

A. The first miracle wrought by our Lord in favor 
of his people in bringing them out of Egypt, was the 
pillar of fire; a luminous pillar by night, and a cloud 
by day, it directed the march of the people, and marked 
the places of their stopping. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 77 

Q- Did this miracle continue a long time ? 

A. This miracle continued during forty years ; that 
is, as long as the Israelites were in the desert. 

Q. What was the second miracle of the Lord in 
favor of his people ? 

A. The second miracle of our Lord in favor of his 
people, was the passage of the Red Sea. Pharao 
repented of having let the Hebrews depart, and set out 
in pursuit of them with his army. At the command 
of Moses, the waters of the Red Sea divided, and left a 
dry passage for the children of Israel. The Egyptians 
followed them, but the w^aters, at the command of 
Moses, resumed their course, and swallowed up all 
the Egyptians. 

Q. What was the third miracle of the Lord in favor 
of his people ? 

A. The third miracle of the Lord in favor of his 
people was the manna. 

Q. What was the manna ? 

A. The manna was a miraculous food, which the 
Lord caused to fall every morning around the camp of 
the Hebrews; it consisted of small white particles, and 
very hard; it was gathered each day, early in the 
morning, and had a delicious taste. 

Q. Why all these miracles? 

A. All these miracles had fop their object to show 
the Israelites and the heathen nations that the Lord 
was the only true God and the sole master of nature. 

Q. Was the manna a figure of the Messiah ? 

A. The manna is the ninth figure of the Messiah. 
The manna w^as a food which fell from heaven ; our 
Lord, in the Holy Eucharist, is a living bread, descend- 
ing from heaven. The manna supplied the place of 
other food ; the Holy Eucharist, is the bread by excel- 
lence, and suffices for all the w^ants of our soul. The 
manna ceased when the Hebrews entered the land of 
promise; the Holy Eucharist shall cease when we will 
have entered into heaven ; that is, we shall see, face 
7* 



78 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

to face, God, whom we now receive under the sacra- 
mental veil. 

Q. What is the sixth promise of the Messiah ? 

A. The Israelites, trembling at the foot of Mount 
Sinai, implored Moses to speak to them, himself, in- 
stead of the Lord, whose majesty they could not sus- 
tain. The Lord then said to Moses, They have 
spoken all things well. I will raise them up a prophet 
out of the midst of their brethren, like to thee; and I 
will put my ivords in his mouth, and he shall speak all 
that I shall command him. This prophet, full of meek- 
ness, is the Messiah ; 'tis thus St. Peter explains this 
promise of God to Moses. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

The Messiah promised and prefigured. — Tenth and 
eleventh figures of the Messiah. — The Sacnfice and 
Brazen Serpent. (»i. C. 145L) 

Q. Where did God give his law to the Israelites .' 

A. God gave his law to the Israelites on Mount 
Sinai. This law, given by the ministry of Moses, is 
called the written law. It was not new ; because the 
first men believed the truths it contained. 

Q. Hovv did God give his law ? 

A. The ancient law was a law of fear ; God gave 
it in the midst of an appalling spectacle; all the 
mountain wascoveied with a thick cloud, from which 
issued forth thunders and lightnings. 

Q. What did Moses do after he had given the Is- 
raelites the law of the Lord ? 

A. After having given the law of the Lord to the 
Israelites, Moses confirmed it by sacrifices. The sac- 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 79 

riiices which Moses offered to confirm the law of the 
Lord, as well as all the other sacrifices of the ancient 
law, were a figure of the sacrifice of our Lord ? 

Q. How do you show this ? 

A. After having published the law, Moses sprinkled 
blood over all the people ; our Lord, after having 
preached the Gospel, gave his adorable blood to his 
apostles. Moses, in sprinkling the blood of the victim 
over the people, used these words : This is the hlood 
of the covenant which the Lord has made with you. Our 
Lord, in giving his blood to his apostles, pronounced 
these words : Th'sis my blood of the JVevj Testament ^ 
which shall be shed for many, 

Q. Continue. 

A. The sacrifices of the ancient law were bloody and 
unbloody ; the sacrifice of our Lord was offered up in 
a bloody manner on the cross, and is still offered in an 
unbloody manner on the altar. The sacrifices of the 
ancient law were offered up for four ends, viz : to 
adore, to thank, to ask and to expiate ; the sacrifice of 
our Lord is offered up for the same four ends. Thus 
the sacrifices of the ancient law are truly the tenth 
figure of our Lord. 

Q. What is the eleventh ? 

A. The eleventh fi2;ure of our Lord is the brazen 
serpent. The guilty Hebrews were bitten by serpents, 
which caused their death. The human race, guilty in 
the person of Adam, has been bitten by the infernal 
serpent, which has produced death. The Lord caused 
a brazen serpent to be made and put in a conspicuous 
place ; our Lord became man, and was elevated on the 
cross. Those who looked on the brazen serpent were 
cured of their wounds; they who look on our Lord 
with faith and love are cured of the wounds inflicted 
by the infernal serpent. Nothing but the sight of the 
brazen serpent could cure the bite of the serpents ; 
nothing but faith and love of our Lord can cure the 
wounds which the devil inflicts on our souls. 



80 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

TOe Messiah promised and prefigured — Twelfth figure 

of the Messiah-^Moses, {A, C. 14510 

Q Why did not Moses and Aaron enter the 
promised land ? 

A. Because they had once entertained a slight hesi- 
tation in their confidence in God. 

Q. What did Moses do previous to his death ? 

A. Previous to his death, Moses assembled the 
children of Israel, and made them renew the covenant 
with the Lord. He promised them, on the part of the 
Lord, that if they would remain faithful to his law, 
they should be crowned with every blessing ; but if, 
on the contrary, they should be unfaithful, he threat- 
ened them with the greatest calamities. 

Q. Where did Moses die ? 

A. After having given his last w6rds to the Israel- 
ites, Moses ascended Mount Nebo, and the Lord said 
to him, Look on the land of promise, but you shall 
not enter it. At these words, the holy legislator, aged 
one hundred and twenty, rendered up his soul to God. 

Q. VVas Moses a figure of the Messiah ? 

A. Moses is the twelfth figure of the Messiah. 

1st. When Moses was born, a cruel king put to 
death the children of the Hebrews; when our Lord 
was born, a cruel king put to death the children of 
Bethlehem and its environs. Moses escapes the fury 
of Pharao, and our Lord escapes the fury of Herod ; 
Moses is sent by God to deliver his people from the 
servitude of Egypt ; our Lord is sent by God to deliver 
all men from the servitude of sin. 

2d. Moses performed gfeat miracles, to prove that 
he w^as sent by God ; our Lord performed great 
miracles, to prove that he was the Son of God. Moses 
fed his people with bread that fell from heaven; our 
Lord feeds men with the living bread which came down 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 81 

from heaven. Moses gives a law to his people ; our 
Lord, also, gives a Jaw lo his people. 

3d. Moses has not the consolation to introduce his 
people into the promised land ; our Lord, greater than 
Moses, has opened to all men the true land of promise, 
heaven ; carrying up with him all the just of the an- 
cient law, and preparing places for those of the new 
law. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Messiah promised and prejigured — Thirteenth figure 
of the Messiah— Josue, (A. C. 1450-14260 

Q. Who w^as the successor of Moses ? 

A. The successor of Moses was Josue, who led 
the Israelites into the land of promise. 

Q. What are the different names of the land of 
promise ? 

A. The promised land has home different names. 
1st. It was called the land of Chanaan, because it was 
inhabited by Chanaan, the grandson of Noe. 2d. The 
land of promise, because the Lord had promised it to 
Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, and to their posterity. 
3d. It was called Judea, because those who came to 
settle there after the captivity of Babylon were, for the 
most part, of the tribe of Juda. 4th. Palestine, from 
the Palestines or Philistines, who inhabited one of its 
provinces. 5th. The Holy Land, on account of the 
great miracles our Lord wrought there for our sal- 
vation 

Q. Which was the first city taken by the Hebrews ? 

A. The first city taken by the Hebrews, after they 
had passed the Jordan, was Jericho. At the sound of 
the trumpets and the cries of the army of Israel, ihe 
walls fell, and all were put to the sword, except 
Rahab and her family. 



82 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What did Josue do after the taking of the city of 
Jericho ? 

A. After the taking of the city of Jericho, Josue 
renewed the covenant with the Lord. 

Q. What happened whilst Josue was combating the 
enemies of the Lord ? 

A Josue, fearing that the day would close before 
the entire defeat of his enemies, addressed the Most 
High, and turning towards the heavens, said to the 
sun : Stand thou still ! and the sun stood still; because 
nothing is difficult for God ; it costs him no more to 
stay the sun, than it does to put it in motion. 

Q. Was Josue a figure of the Messiah ? 

A. Yes, Josue is the thirteenth figure of the Messiah ; 
Josue signifies Saviour; Jesus signifies Saviour. 
Josue succeeded Moses, who was not permitted to 
bring the Hebrews into the land of promise; our Lord 
succeeded Moses, whose law was not suflScient to 
bring men to heaven. Josue introduced the Hebrews 
into the land of promise ; our Lord introduces men 
into heaven. After ten years of combats and victories, 
Josue saw his people in full possession of the promised 
land ; after three hundred years of combats and vic- 
tories, our Lord sees his church reigning on the earth. 
As long as the Hebrews were faithful to the advice of 
Josue, they were happy ; as long as Christians are 
faithful to the counsels of our Lord, they are happy. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

Messiah promised and prefigured — Fourteenth figure of 
the Messiah— Gideon. (Jl. C. 1405. J 

Q. By whom were the Hebrews governed after the 
death of Josue ? 

A. After the death of Josue, the Hebrews were gov- 
erned by judges. The judges were chosen by God ; 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 83 

they led the people to battle and administered justice ; 
there was only one at a time. 

Q. Did the Hebrews long remain faithful to the 
Lord ? 

A The Hebrews soon forgot the promises they had 
made and so often renewed. They went so far as to 
forget even God himself, and gave themselves up to 
idolatry ; it was a woman, and her son, named Michas, 
who first set the example. 

Q. How did God punish them ? 

A. God punished this crime, and all that followed 
from it, by sending against the Israelites the infidel 
nations, and amongst others, the Madianites, who laid 
waste the country. 

Q. By whom were the Hebrews delivered from the 
Madianites ? 

A. The Hebrews were delivered from the Madianites 
by <jideon. 

Q. What miracle did God grant Gideon ? 

A. Gideon, having assembled his army, asked of 
God two miracles, to accredit his mission ; the first 
was, that a fleece of wool, spread on the ground, du- 
ring the night, should be covered with dew, whilst the 
ground around it should remain dry ; the second was, 
that the fleece should remain dry, whilst the surround- 
ing ground should be w^et with dew. The two 
miracles took place. 

Q. What did the Lord then say to Gideon ? 

A. The Lord then said lo Gideon, " the army is too 
numerous," although there were only thirty-two thou- 
sand, whilst the enemy had one hundred and thirty- 
five thousand men. I wish, said the Lord, that Israel 
may know that it is I alone who have delivered them. 
He ordered him to keep with him only three hundred 
men. 

Q. How did Gideon obtain the victory ? 

A. When night had come Gideon, and his three 
hundred men, armed only with trumpets, and lamps in 



84 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

empty pitchers, advanced to the lines of the enemies. 
Immediately they all began to sound their trumpets, 
broke the pitchers and lifted up their lights ; their 
enemies, seized with fright, fled, overturning and kill- 
ing one another v^^ithout knowing it. 

Q. Was Gideon a figure of the Messiah ? 

A. Gideon was the fourteenth figure of the Messiah. 
Gideon was the last amongst his brothers ; our Lord 
deigned to appear as the last among men. Gideon, 
notwithstanding his weakness, is chosen to deliver his 
people from the tyranny of the Madianites ; our Lord, 
notwithstanding his apparent weakness, is chosen to 
deliver the people from the tyranny of the devil. Two 
great miracles prove that Gideon is chosen ; the greatest 
miracles prove that our Lord is chosen the Liberator of 
men. Gideon, with only three hundred men, marched 
against a whole host of enemies ; our Lord marches to 
the conquest of the universe with twelve fishermen. 
The soldiers of Gideon are without arms; the apostles 
of our Lord are without arms. The soldiers of Gideon 
take with them only trumpets and lamps; the apostles 
of our Lord have only the preaching of the Gospel and 
the lamp of charity. Gideon and his soldiers triumph 
over the Madianites ; our Lord and his apostles triumph 
over the world. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

The Messiah promised and prefigured — Fifteenth figure 
of the Messiah— Samson, (A. C. 1245-1 1 17.J 

Q. After the death of Gideon, did the Israelites long 
remain faithful to the Lord ? 

A. After the death of Gideon, the Israelites soon 
fell into idolatry; but their infidelity brought upon 
them many and speedy calamities. They were op- 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 85 

pressed by the Philistines, an idolatrous people, who 
inhabited one of the provinces of the land of promise. 

Q. By whom were they delivered from the servi- 
tude of the Philistines ? 

A. They were delivered from the servitude of the 
Philistines by Samson, whose birth was miraculous, 
and whose strength was extraordinary. He passed 
the twenty first years of his life with his parents, and 
married a wife among the Philistines. 
t_ Q. What was his first exploit ? 

A. His first exploit was to kill a young lion, which 
came at him to devour him. 

Q. What were his other exploits ? 

A. The other exploits of Samson are not all known 
to us. We know only that, to punish the Philistines, 
he burnt their harvest-fields and vineyards, by letting 
loose in them three hundred foxes, tied two and two, 
with lighted torches fastened to their tails; he after- 
wards carried off, on his shoulders, the gates of the 
city of Gaza^ in which city they had shut him up. 

Q. What was the end of Samson ? 

A. Samson was betrayed by a woman, named 
Dalila, who cut off' his hair, in which his strength re- 
sided, and then delivered him into the hands of the 
Philistines ; they put out his eyes and shut him up in a 
prison, where they made him turn a mill. But on a 
day of festivity, Samson shook down upon the Philis- 
tines the temple in which they were assembled, by 
which he killed more than three thousand of them, 
and lost his own life. 

Q. Was Samson a figure of the Messiah ? 

A. Samson is the fifteenth figure of the Messiah. 
1st. Samson was born in a miraculous manner; our 
Lord was also born in a miraculous manner. Samson 
took a spouse among the Philistines ; our Lord chose 
the church, his spouse, among the Gentiles. Samson 
killed a iion^ which came to devour him ; our Lord 
overpSwered the pagan world, which, like a lion, 
8 



86 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

endeavored during three hundred years to devour his 
infant church. 2d. Samson was shut up, by his ene- 
mies, in the city of Gaza; our Lord was shut up, by 
his enemies, in the tomb. Samson rose in the middle 
of the night, pulled up the gates with their fastenings, 
and, despite the guards, w^ent forth from the city in 
which he had been shut up ; our Lord, after having 
descended into Limbo, where he broke asunder the 
gates of hell and death, went forth, full of life, from 
the tomb, in despite of his guards. 3d. Samson was 
delivered up to his enemies; our Lord also was deliv- 
ered up to his enemies. Samson, in dying, killed 
more Philistines than he had destroyed during the rest 
of his life; our Lord, in dying, did more harm to the 
devil, and drew to himself more disciples, than he had 
done during his life. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

The Messiah 'promised and 'prefigured — Seventh 
promise of the Messiah. (^. C. 1116-1048.) 

Q. Who was the judge in Israel, after Samson ? 

A. The judge in Israel, after Sampson, was the high 
priest Hell. He was a man irreproachable in his 
manners, but his neglect to correct his sons brought 
severe chastisements upon himself, upon his family, 
and upon the whole people. 

Q. Who succeeded the high priest Heli ? 

A. Samuel succeeded the high priest Heli. This 
great man restored religion and abolished idolatry; he 
was the last of the judges of Israel. After the 
judges, the Israelites were governed by kings, of whom 
the first was Saul. He disobeyed God, who chose in 
his stead a king after his own heart. 

Q. Who was the king after God's own heart ?' 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 87 

A. The king after God's own heart was David. 
David was of the tribe of Juda, and of the city of 
Bethlehem ; he was the son of Jesse, and was keeping 
his father's flocks, when they sent for him to make 
him king. Samuel anointed him secretly, by the 
order of God. 

Q, What was the first exploit of David ? 

A. The first exploit of David was his victory over 
Goliah. Goliah was a Philistine, of prodigious size 
and strength ; he each day insulted the Israelites, and 
defied them to the combat. David, full of confidence 
in God, presented himself for the fight ; with a stone 
thrown from his sling, he prostrated the giant, and 
running up to him, cut ofi[ his head. 

Q. What effect had this victory on Saul .? 

A. This victory excited the jealousy of Saul, w^ho 
several times attempted the life of David, but the Lord 
preserved him. Saul himself perished in battle, and 
David was recognized as king by all the people. 

Q. What were the other exploits of David.' 

A. David, having been recognized as king, defeated 
the enemies of his people, and took the citadel of 
Sion. This citadel was a small fortified city, built on 
the mountain, at the foot of which was situated Jeru- 
salem. David established his residence in this citadel, 
which, for this reason, is called the city of David. 

Q. What promise did God make to David ? 

A. Whilst David was thinking of building a temple 
for the reception of the Ark of the Covenant, the 
Lord promised him that the Messiah should be born of 
his race, sayinoj to him : 7 will raise up thy seed after 
thee, and I will establish his kingdom. . . . I will es- 
tablish the throne of his kingdom for ever, I will be to 
him a father, and he shall be to me a son. 

Q. What do you remark on these words.' 

A. I remark on these words that they properly be- 
long only to our Lord Jesus Christ, for he alone is 
both the Son of X^od and the son of David ; he alone 



88 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

has a throne established for ever ; neither of which can 
be said of Solomon, the son and successor of David. 

Q. What does this seventh promise teach us ? 

A. This seventh promise teaches us that the Re- 
deemer shall be of the house of David; that he shall 
be, at the same time, the Son of God and the son of 
David, that is, he shall be both God and man. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

The Messiah promised and prefigured — Sixteenth Jigure 
of the Messiah— David, {Jl, C. 1022-1015.) 

Q. Did David remain always faithful to the Lord? 

A. David did not remain always faithful to the 
Lord — he committed two great sins. 

Q. Did David remain long estranged from God ? 

A. David remained in his sins, estranged from God, 
about one year, so great is the darkness which sin 
spreads over even the most holy souls. God, however, 
had pity on him, and sent the prophet Nathan to open 
his eyes to the miserable state in which he was 
living. David acknowledged his fault, and bew^ailed 
it the rest of his days. 

Q. Did the Lord pardon David } 

A. The Lord pardoned David ; but he sent him great 
afflictions in order to satisfy the divine justice. Absa- 
lom, his son, revolted against him. David was obliged 
to fly, and to leave Jerusalem weeping and on foot. 
Absalom was killed in battle, and was bitterly be- 
wailed by David, who returned to Jerusalem. David 
afterwards lived many years and died full of days and 
merit. 

Q. Was David a figure of the Messiah ^ 

A. Yes, David was the sixteenth figure of the Mes- 
siah. 1st. David was born at Bethlehem; our Lord 



CATECHfSM OF PERSEVERANCE. 89 

was born at Bethlehem. David, armed only with a 
sling and shepherd's crook, slew the giant Goliah ; our 
Lord, armed only with his cross, vanquished the devil. 
2d. David sins, and to atone for his sins is obliged to 
go out of Jerusalem ; our Lord is innocent, but to atone 
for the sins of the world which he has not committed, 
he is conducted out of Jerusalem. David crosses the 
torrent Cedron, weeping; our Lord, penetrated with 
grief passes over the same Cedron. David goes bare- 
footed up to Mount Olivet; our Lord also ascends 
Mount Olivet. 3d. David is accompanied by a small 
number of faithful servants ; our Lord is followed by 
his holy mother, St. John and a small number of pious 
souls. David, in his affliction, is insulted by Semei, 
whom he forbids his followers to injure ; our Lord, 
on the cross, is insulted by the Jews, for whom he 
prays. David returns in triumph and receives the 
homage of his subjects ; our Lord rises in triumph from 
the tomb, and receives the homage of the whole world. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

The Messiah promised and prefigured — Seventeenth 
Jigure of the Messiah — Solomon. {A. C. 1015-982.) 

Q. Who was the successor of David ! 

A. The successor of David was Solomon his son. 
Solomon was yet young when he ascended the throne. 
As a sole favor, , he asked of God wisdom. It was 
granted. Having arrived at man's age, he married a 
foreign princess. 

Q. What was the great work of Solomon ? 

A. The great work of Solomon was the building of 
the temple of Jerusalem. 

Q. How long did the building of the temple last ? 
8* 



90 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

A. The building of the temple lasted seven entire 
years, although more than one hundred thousand 
workmen were constantly employed at it. 

Q. Give some account of this temple. 

A. It was one of the w^onders of the world ; gold, 
silver, wood of Cedar, and the most precious stones 
were employed in its construction. It consisted of 
four principal parts. 

Q. What was the first part? 

A. The first was the vestibule of Israel. It was a 
vast court surrounded with buildings and galleries, and 
could contain all the Israelites at once. 

Q. What was the second ? 

A. The second was the interior vestibule. It was 
a smaller court than the first, but, like it, surrounded 
with buildings and galleries, and in the middle was the 
altar of holocausts. The priests only could ordinarily 
enter this court. 

Q. What was the third ? 

A. The third was the holy, or holy place. In it 
was the altar of perfumes, the ten candlesticks of gold, 
with many branches to which lighted lamps were sus- 
pended night and day. Here also were the tables of 
gold for the reception of the loaves of proposition. 

Q. What was the fourth ? 

A. The fourth was the boly of holies. It was in 
this, the most retired part of the temple, that was kept 
the Ark of the Covenant. The high priest alone could 
enter it, and that but once a year. 

Q. Was the temple of Solomon acceptable to the 
Lord ? 

A. The temple of Solomon was acceptable to the 
Lord. At the moment of the dedication fire from hea- 
ven consumed the victims, and a cloud of majesty 
filled every part of the edifice. 

Q. Did Solomon persevere in virtue to the end ? 

A. Solomon did not persevere in virtue to the end ; 
he gave himself up to his passions, and finally adored 



CATECHISBI OF PERSEVERANCE. 91 

idols — a terrible example which should make us trem- 
ble for our own weakness. 

Q. Was Solomon a figure of the Messiah ? 

A. Solomon is the seventeenth figure of the Messiah, 
but of the Messiah triumphant and glorious. 1st. 
Solomon, enjoying the fruits of the victories and labors 
of David, his father, ascends the throne, and reigns in 
peaee over his conquered enemies ; our Lord, rejoicing 
in his labors and victories, ascends the throne of his 
Father in the highest heavens, and reigns in peace 
over his conquered enemies. Solomon lakes for his 
spouse a foreign princess; our Lord chooses the 
church, his spouse, among the Gentiles, who are 
strangers to the Jewish people and to the true religion. 
2d. Solomon builds a magnificent temple to the true 
God ; our Lord changes the world, which was a vast 
temple of idols, into a temple of the true God. On the 
report of the wisdom of Solomon, the queen of Saba 
leaves her kingdom and is filled with admiration. At 
the name of our Lord kings, queens, whole nations of 
idolaters, quit the worship of idols and admire the wis- 
dom of the Christian law. The queen of Saba offers 
rich presents to Solomon ; idolatrous nations have 
offered their riches and their hearts to our Lord. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

The Messiah promised and prefigured — Eighteenth 
Jigure of the Messiah — Jonas. {A. C, 975-825.) 

Q. What happened after the death of Solomon ? 

A. After the death of Solomon his kingdom w^as 
divided ; there remained to his son Roboam but two 
tribes, those of Juda and Benjamin. The ten other 
tribes chose for their king Jeroboam, and took the 
name of the kingdom of Israel. The two former tribes 
remained faithful and were called the kingdom of Juda. 



92 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What was the capital of the kingdom of Israel ? 

A. The capital of the kingdom of Israel was Sa- 
maria. 

Q. What was the capital of the kingdom of Juda ? 

A. The capital of the kingdom of Juda was Jerusalem. 

Q. Did God abandon the ten tribes ? 

A. The Lord did not abandon the ten tribes, on the 
contrary he sent them a great many prophets to with- 
draw them from idolatry into which Jeroboam had 
caused them to fall ; but they would not be converted. 
One of these prophets was Jonas. 

Q. What order did God give Jonas ? 

A. God ordered Jonas to go and announce to the 
city of Ninive that the iniquities of its citizens had 
reached their height, and that^e was about to punish 
them. 

Q. Did Jonas obey the order of God ? 

A. Jonas did not immediately obey the order of God. 
Knowing the great mercy of the Lord, he plainly fore- 
saw that if the Ninivites should repent they would be 
pardoned, and his menaces would not be accomplished. 
He embarked, therefore, on a ship to go to the city of 
Th arsis. 

Q. What happened to Jonas whilst on board of the 
ship ? 

A. Scarcely was Jonas on the vessel when a violent 
storm arose; the crew suspected that there was on 
board some great criminal that gave offence to heaven. 
They cast lots to ascertain who it was, and the lot fell 
upon Jonas. 

Q. What did they do with Jonas ? 

A. They cast Jonas into the sea; but the Lord or- 
dered a large whale to swallow him alive. Jonas 
lived miraculously three days and three nights in the 
whale, which afterwards threw him up on the shore. 
The prophet went to Ninive, and began to travel over 
the city, cryina: with a loud voice — ''Yet forty days 
and JVinive shall be destroyed,'* 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 93 

Q. What did the people of Ninive do ? 

A. At the voice of Jonas the people of Ninive re- 
pented, and the Loid revoked the sentence he had pro- 
nounced. Jonas connplained of this to the Lord, and 
said to him that he had well foreseen what would 
happen. 

Q. How did the Lord appease Jonas ? 

A. Jonas had retired a short distance from the city. 
During the night the Lord caused an ivy to grow up, 
the shade of which protected Jonas from the rays of 
the sun. On the day following the ivy, by the order 
of God, was withered, and Jonas, being exposed to the 
rays of the sun, began to murmur. Then the Lord 
said to him, you complain of the loss of this ivy which 
cost you nothing, and you wish me to destroy a large 
city which has done penance, and in which there is 
a multitude of innocent children ! 

Q. Was Jonas a figure of the Messiah ? 

A. Jonas is the eighteenth figure of the Messiah. 
Jonas, whom the Israelites, his brethren, would not 
hear, was sent to preach penance to the Ninivites who 
were idolaters ; our Lord, who was sent to preach the 
gospel to the Jews, his brethren, is not heard ; he then 
causes it to be preached to the ^Gentiles by his apostles. 
Jonas, by his disobedience, is the cause of a violent 
tempe.st, and is thrown. into the sea; our Lord, inno- 
cent himself but loaded with the sins of the world, 
excites the anger of God against him, and is put to 
death. Jonas remains three days and three nights in 
the belly of a whale ; our Lord remains three days and 
three nights in the tomb. Jonas, being delivered, con- 
verts the Ninivites ; our Lord, after his resurrection, 
converts the infidel nations. 



94 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

Messiah foretold — Prophecies of David, 

Q. What is a prophet? 

A. A prophet is a man who foretells the future 
by the inspiration of God. Since God knows all 
things, he can reveal the future to whomsoever he 
pleases ; in the same manner as he can give to whom- 
soever he pleases the power of working miracles. 

Q. How many kinds of prophets are there? 

A. There are two kinds of prophets ; those who 
have not written their prophecies, as Elias and 
Eliseus, and those who have written them. Amongst 
the latter, some are called the Great Prophets, because 
we have a greater number of their writings, such as 
David, Isaias, Jeremias, Ezekiel, and Daniel; others 
are called the Minor Prophets, because we have fewer 
of their writings; they are twelve in number. 

Q. How did the prophets live ? 

A. The prophets led a poor and mortified life; they 
lived in community, like religious, occupied with study, 
labor and prayer. 

Q. Are prophecies a certain proof of the truth of 
the religion in favor of which they are made ? 

A. Yes, they are. For God alone can inspire 
prophecies; and God, being truth itself, cannot inspire 
prophecies to establish falsehood; therefore the reli- 
gion in favor of which God has inspired prophecies 
must be true. 

Q. Are the prophecies which announce the Mes- 
siah genuine ? 

A. The prophecies which announce the Messiah, 
and which have been accomplished in our Lord Jesus 
Christ, are genuine and true, since ihey have been pre- 
served by the Jews, the mortal enemies of the Chris- 
tians. 

Q. What do you remark of the prophecies ? 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 95 

A. 1 remark that the prophecies ordinarily announce 
two events ; one of which was to be accomplished in a 
short time, and the other at a later period. 

Q. Why do the prophecies announce two events ? 
- A. The prophecies announce two events, in order 
that one being accomplished, the fulfilment of the 
other might not be doubted. 

Q. What are the first detailed prophecies of the 
Messiah ? 

A. The first prophecies, in detail, of the Messiah, 
are those of David ; they are contained in his canticles, 
called the Psalms. David lived one thousand years 
before our Lord. 

Q. What did he foretell of the Messiah ? 
f. A. He foretold that the Messiah should be disowned 
by the Jews, and that he should convert all nations. 
Our Lord was disowned by the Jews, and he has con- 
verted all nations; therefore, our Lord is the Messiah 
foretold by David. 

Q. What else did he announce ? 

A. He also announced that the Messiah would be 
betrayed by one of his disciples; that his enemies 
would spit upon his face ; that they would mock him 
in his agony; that they would pierce his hands and 
feet; that they would cast lots for his garment; that 
they would give him vinegar to drink ; all this was 
done to our Lord, and done to no other but him; 
therefore, our Lord is the Messiah foretold by David. 
Finally, David announces that the Messiah would rise 
from the tomb without seeing corruption ; our Lord 
rose from the tomb without seeing corruption, and to 
Him alone is this prophecy applicable ; therefore, our 
Lord is the Messiah foretold by David. 



96 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Messiah foretold — Prophecies of Isaias. (A. C. 720.) 

Q. What became of the kingdom of Israel after the 
separation of the tribes ? 

A. After the separation, the kingdom of Israel fell 
into idolatry, with the exception of a small number 
of Israelites, who remained faithful to the Lord. It 
was destroyed by Salmanasar, king of Assyria, who 
carried the ten tribes captives to Ninive. It had 
existed two hundred and fifty-four years. 

Q. What became of the kingdom of Juda? 

A. The kingdom of Juda remained more faithful to 
the Lord; it fell, however, into idolatry, but did not 
persevere in it. 

Q. What means did the Lord employ to preserve 
religion in these two kingdoms? 

A. The means which the Lord employed to preserve 
religion in these two kingdoms, was the ministry of 
the prophets. Elias and Eliseus, especially, neglected 
nothing to bring back the children of Israel to the true 
God. In the kingdom of Juda there appeared other 
great prophets, who never ceased to invite the people 
to repentance, and to announce the coming and the 
marks of the Messiah. 

Q Who was the prophet Isaias ? 

A. The prophet Isaias was of the royal race of 
David. The Lord purified him, and chose him from 
his infancy to announce the future. He lived about 
seven hundred years before our Lord. He was sawed 
in two by the order of Manasses, whom he had re- 
proached for his impieties. 

Q, What events, near at hand, did he announce ? 

A. To prove to the Jews that his prophecies con- 
cerning the Messiah should be accomplished, he an- 
nounced to them three events, to happen nearer their 
time. 1st. The deliverance of Jerusalem, besieged by 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 97 

two kings; 2d, the defeat of Sennacherib; 3d, the 
destruction of Jerusalem by Nabuchadonosor. 

Q. What did he announce concerning the Messiah? 

A. He announced that the Messiah should convert 
the idolatrous nations; that he should be born of a 
mother ever virgin ; that he should be adored by kings 
in his cradle ; and that he should have a precursor, 
who would prepare the people to receive him. 

Q. What more did Isaias announce ? 

A. Isaias also announced that our Lord w^ould be 
mildness itself ; that he would miraculously cure a 
number of sick; that he would be a man of sorrows; 
that he would die between two criminals; that he 
would not open his mouth to complain, and that he 
would give his life, because he willed it, to expiate our 
sins. 

Q. What are the other prophecies of Isaias? 
, A. Isaias also foretold that, in recompense for his 
death, the Messiah should reign over the world; that 
his sepulchre should be glorious; and that the church, 
his spouse, should give him innumerable children. 
These characters of the Messiah, marked by Isaias, all 
accord with our Lord, and with no one else ; therefore, 
our Lord is the Messiah foretold by Isaias. 



CHAPTER XL. 

Messiah fc/retold — Prophecies of Osee, of Micheas, Joel 
and Jeremias. (A. C, 600J 

Q. Who was the third prophet of the Messiah ? 

A. The third prophet of the Messiah was Osee; he 
lived in the time of Isaias ; that is, 700 years before 
our Lord. To prove to the Jews that his predictions 
concerning the Messiah should be accomplished, he 
foretold two events soon to happen, viz : the destruc- 
tion of Samaria, and of the kingdom of Juda. 
9 



93 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What did he say of the Messiah ? 

A. He said of the Messiah that whilst yet an in- 
fant, he should be conducted into Egypt, and he should 
return thence, by order of his father; he adds, that he 
shall convert all nations; and that for refusing to 
recognize him, the Jews shall be wanderers over the 
whole earth. All this is accomplished in our Lord, and 
in no one else; our Lord, therefore, is the Messiah 
foretold by Osee. 

Q. Who was the fourth prophet of the Messiah? 

A. The fourth prophet of the Messiah w^as Micheas. 
He was cotemporary with Osee ; and to give authority 
to his mission, he announced, in detail^the misfortunes 
which were very shortly to befall the kingdoms of Is- 
rael and Juda. 

Q. What did he announce of the Messiah ? 

A. He announced of the Messiah, that he should be 
born in Bethlehem; that he should be both God and 
man ; that he should convert all nations; that his reign 
should be eternal ; and he should be our reconciliation. 
All these characters, united, correspond wnlh our Lord, 
and with no other; our Lord, therefore, is the Messiah 
foretold by xVticheas. 

Q. Who was the fifth prophet of the Messiah? 

A. The fifth prophet of the Messiah w^as Joel. He 
lived at the same time as the prophets above men- 
tioned. To prove that what he announced concerning 
the Messiah should be accomplished, he foretold an 
approaching event; it was a terrible famine, w^hich 
desolated the whole country. 

Q. What did he announce of the Messiah? 

A He announced that the Messiah would send 
down the Holy Ghost upon his church, and that the 
faithful should prophecy; that the Messiah would 
come to judge the world, in great power and majesty; 
our Lord has sent down the Holy Ghost upon his 
church ; the apostles, and a great number of Chris- 
tians, during the first ages of the church, received the 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 99 

gift of prophecy ; our Lord shall come to judge the 
world, ill great power and majesty ; our Lord, there- 
fore, is the Messiah foretold by Joel. 

Q. Who was the sixth prophet of the Messiah? 

A. The sixth prophet of the Messiah was Jeremias. 
God raised him up for a prophet, about lifty years after 
those w^hom we have just named. To prove the truth 
of his predictions concerning the Messiah, he an- 
nounced a great many events, of which the Jews were 
witnesses; amone;st others, the taking of Jerusalem and 
the captivity of Babylon. 

Q. What did he announce of the Messiah ? 

A. He announced that at the birth of the Messiah 
the little children of Bethlehem, and its environs, 
would be put to death, and their mothers would be in- 
consolable ; that the Messiah should convert all nations, 
and establish a new covenant, more perfect than the 
first. All this corresponds with our Lord, and with 
no other ; our Lord, therefore, is the Messiah foretold 
by Jeremias. 



CHAPTER XLI. 
Messiah foi'etold — Prophecies of Ezechiel (Ji. C. 580.) 

Q. Who is the seventh prophet of the Messiah ? 

A. The seventh prophet of the Messiah is Ezechiel. 
All the predictions of the other prophets against Jeru- 
salem had been accomplished. This city was de- 
stroyed, and its inhabitants captives in Babylon. At 
this time, God raised up Ezechiel, to take charge once 
more of his people, to encourage- and console them. 

Q. What approaching events did Ezechiel announce ? 

A. To prove the truth of his predictions concerning 
the Messiah, Ezechiel announced to the Jews that 
they should be delivered from captivity, and that the 



100 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

temple of Jerusalem should be rebuilt, which happened 
a few years alter. 

Q. Did he not announce another event ? 

A. He announced, also, that counting from the time 
of his prediction, Egypt should never have again a 
prince of her own blood ; and now, for more than two 
thousand three hundred years, Egypt has constantly 
bowed beneath a foreign sceptre. The greatest infidels 
of our days have themselves acknowledged the ful- 
filment of» this prophecy. 

Q. What did Ezechiel say concerning the Messiah ? 

A. Ezechiel said that the Messiah should be of the 
race of David ; that he should be the one pastor who 
should re-unite the Jews and the Gentiles into one 
sheepfold ; that he would establish a new law, more 
perfect than the old, and which should subsist for ever. 
Our Lord Jesus Christ alone has verified all these 
characters; he is, therefore, the Messiah foretold by 
Ezechiel. 

Q. Did any other prophet appear during the captivity 
of Babylon ? 

A. During the captivity of Babylon there appeared 
Daniel, another great prophet. 

Q. Where was Daniel to be brought up ? 

A. Daniel, with three young Israelites, named An- 
anias, Misael and Azarias, was brought up at the court 
of Nabuchadonosor, king of Babylon. In the midst of 
idolaters, they always remained faithful to their re- 
ligion, refusing for conscience' sake to eat of the food 
fufnished them from the king's table. 

Q. How di(i the Lord reward their fidelity ? 

A. The Lord rewarded their fidelity by granting them 
extraordinary knowledge and rendering them acceptable 
to Nabuchadonosor. 

Q. What happened to this prince ? 

A. It happened that this prince had a mysterious 
dream which troubled him greatly, and which he could 
not recall to mind. He required, nevertheless, an 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 101 

explanation of the dream. Daniel, inspired by God, com- 
plied with the wish of the king. The dream signified 
that four great kingdoms, that of the Babylonians, that 
of the Persians, that of the Greeks, and that of the 
Romans, were to succeed one another, and be followed 
by the kingdom of our Lord, viz : the church. 

Q. What did Nabuchadonosor do after this ? 

A. Nabuchadonosor caused a great statue to be 
made and ordered all to adore it. The young Israelites 
refused to obey. The king caused Ananias, Misael 
and Azarias to be thrown into a burning furnace, 
where the Lord miraculously preserved them. 



CHAPTER XLTI. 

Messiah foretold — Prophecies of Daniel 
(J. C. 551-538.) 

Q. What did Daniel do after the miracle of the bum- 
ping furnace ? 

A. After the miracle of the burning furnace, Daniel 
lived retired from the tumult of the court, praying with 
fervor for the deliverance of the Jews. 

Q. How did the Lord draw Daniel out of his ob- 
scurity ? 

A. Balthazar, the grandson and successor of Nabu- 
chadonosor, vras profaning, during a feast, the sacred 
vessels of the temple of Jerusalem, when a hand ap- 
peared on the wall, writing three mysterious words, 
v^hich filled the king with terror. 
• Q. What did Balthazar do ? 

A. Balthazar sent for Daniel, who explained the 
three words written on the w^all. The first signified : 
God hath numbered thy kingdom and hath finished it. 
The second : Thou art weighed in the balance and 
art found wanting. The third: Thy kingdom is di- 
vided and given to the Medes and Persians. That same 
9* 



102 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

night the sentence was executed. Cyrus took Babylon, 
and Balthazar was killed. 

Q. Did Daniel enjoy the favor of the new conquerors ? 

A. Daniel enjoyed the favor of the new conquerors, 
and on that account, became an object of jealousy 
among the nobles of the court. 

Q. What did they do in order to destroy him ? 

A. In order to destroy him, they persuaded the king 
to forbid all his subjects to offer up prayers to any deity 
whatever during the space of one month. Daniel did 
not, on this account, cease to offer up his prayers to 
the Lord. His enemies denounced him to the king, 
who caused him to be thrown into the lions' den; these 
wild beasts, however, did him no harm. 

Q. What were the prophecies of Daniel ? 

A. In proof of his predictions concerning the Mes- 
siah, he announced: 1st, the succession of the four 
great empires; 2d, the precise epoch at which the city 
of Jerusalem, destroyed by Nabuchadonosor, would 
be re-built. 

Q. What did he announce concerning the Messiah ? 

A. Daniel foretold that the Messiah should come in 
four hundred and ninety years; that he should re-es- 
tablish the reign of virtue on the earth ; that he should 
be denied by the Jew^s ; that he should be put to death ; 
and after that, the temple and the city of Jerusalem 
should be destroyed, and that the Jews should be in a 
state of desolation, which would last till the end of lime. 

Q. What does this prophecy prove ? 

A. This prophecy proves, 1st, that the Messiah has 
come, since the ruin of Jerusalem and the temple, 
which was to follow the coming of the Messiah, took 
place more than eighteen hundred years ago ; 2d, 
that our Lord is truly the Messiah foretold by Daniel, 
since he came at the precise moment foretold by the 
prophets ; has brought back the reign of the true God 
upon the earth ; and was denied and put to death by 
the Jews, who have been dispersed since that time. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 103 

CHAPTER XLIII. 

Messiah foretold — Prophecies of Aggeus, Zacharias and 
Malachias, {A, C. 538-454.; 

Q. By whom were the Jews delivered from the cap- 
tivity of Babylon ? 

A. The Jews were delivered from the captivity of 
Babylon by Cyrus. At the solicitations of Daniel, this 
great prince permitted the Jews to return to Jerusalem, 
and rebuild the temple of Jerusalem 

Q. What was their first care on arriving in their 
country ? 

A. Their first care on arriving in their country was 
to labor at the construction of the new temple ; but 
the old men, who, seventy years before, had seen the 
temple of Solomon, could not restrain their tears on 
seeing how inferior the new temple was to the old one, 

Q. What did the Lord do to console them ] 

A. To console them, the Lord sent the prophet 
Aggeus ; who announced to them that the glory of the 
new temple should infinitely surpass that of the old; 
because the Messiah should enter it in person, and 
there announce the reconciliation of man with God. 

Q. What does this prophecy prove ? 

A. This prophecy proves that the Messiah has long 
since come; for the prophet announces that the Mes- 
siah shall enter the second temple, which was de- 
stroyed in the seventieth year of the Christian era. 

Q. What does it further prove ? 

A. It proves that our Lord is truly the Messiah, 
since the Messiah foretold by Aggeus was to be the 
minister of the reconciliation of man with God; and it 
is our Lord alone who has reconciled man with God, 
by expiating our sins on the cross, and by drawing us 
out of idolatry. Such is the ninth prophecy of the 
Kedeemer. 



104 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What event, near at hand, did the prophet Ag- 
geus announce ? 

A. To show the Jews that what he said of the Mes- 
siah was true, the prophet Aggeus announced an event 
near at hand, viz : the sudden ceasing of the sterility, 
which had lasted nearly ten years. 

Q. What is the tenth prophecy of the Redeemer ? 

A. The tenth prophecy of the Redeemer, is that of 
Zacharias. This prophet was a cotemporary of 
Aggeus. He announced that the Messiah should be a 
king, full of justice, mildness and humility; that he 
should enter Jerusalem amidst acclamations, seated 
upon an ass, followed by its foal ; that he should be 
sold for thirty pieces of silver ; that this i^oney should 
be brought back into the temple, and be given to a pot- 
ter; that he should have his hands pierced, and that 
he should convert the nations. In our Lord alone are 
verified all these traits of this prophecy; he is, there- 
fore, the Messiah foretold by Zacharias. 

Q. What event, near at hand, did Zacharias foretell ? 

A. To give credit to his predictions concerning the 
Messiah, Zacharias foretold an event near at hand, but 
at that time very improbable, viz: that Jerusalem 
would become a very flourishing city. 

Q. What is the eleventh prophecy of the Redeemer? 

A. The eleventh prophecy of the Redeemer is that 
of Malachias. A second colony of Jews had returned 
from Babylon, under the conduct of Esdras, who put 
the finishing stroke to the building of the temple. It 
was at this time the Lord made Malachias speak. 

Q. What did the prophet say ? 

A. He said to the Jews that the sacrifices they were 
beginning to offer again in the new temple, should 
cease to be acceptable to the Lord ; that these sacrifices 
should be replaced by a sacrifice, one, holy, offered 
throughout the world, from the rising of the sun to the 
going down thereof, and which would render the name 
of the Lord great. He announced also that the Messiah 



CATECHISM OF TERSEVERANCE. ' 105 

should have a precursor, endowed with the spirit and 
virtue of Elias, to recall the Jews to the faith of Abra- 
ham, Isaac and Jacob, and prepare them to hear the 
Desired of nations. 

Q. What does this prophecy prove ? 

A. This prophecy proves, 1st, that the sacrifice fore- 
told by Malachias,^ to replace all the ancient sacrifices, 
is the sacrifice of our altars, since this sacrifice alone 
is holy, universal, and capable of honoring the Lord, to 
whom a God is offered as the victim ; 2d, it proves that 
he who instituted this sacrifice, viz : the Messiah, is 
truly our Lord Jesus Christ, since it is he who has es- 
tablished this august sacrifice, and was preceded by a 
precursor, John the Baptist, clothed with the spirit and 
virtue of Elias, in order to render the Jews mindful of 
fais coming and docile to his instructions. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 

w2 general summary, and application of the promises, 
figures and prophecies^ to our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Q. Why did God from the beginning of the world 
promise a Redeemer to man ? 

A. God promised a Redeemer to man from the be- 
ginning of the world : 1st, to prevent him from losing 
courage and yielding to despair ; 2d, to teach him to 
sanctify his actions and prayers, by uniting them to 
those of the Redeemer to come, and thereby secure his 
salvation. 

Q. To whom was the promise of the Redeemer first 
made ? 

A. The promise of the Redeemer was first made to 
fAdam, when the Lord said to the serpent: She shall 
jisrush thy head, 

Q. To whom was the second promise made .'' 

A. The second promise was made to Abraham. The 



106 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Lord said to him : In thy seed all nations shall he 
blessed. This promise restricts his coming to the pos- 
terity of Abraham. 

Q. To whom was the third promise ? 

A. The third promise was to Isaac; this promise 
excludes all the other children of Abraham. 

Q. To whom was the fourth ? 

A. The fourth was made to Jacob; this excludes 
Esau and his descendants. 

Q. To whom was the fifth ? 

A. The fifth was made to Juda by his father when 
on his death-bed. Hence, it is only in the tribe of 
Juda we must look for the Messiah. 

Q. To whom was made the last promise? 

A. The last promise w^as made to David ; and it 
tells us that it is in the family of this holy king the 
Redeemer of the world shall be born. 

Q. Continue. 

A. After having conducted us, step by step, and, as 
it were, by the hand, down to the family of David, 
God ceases to give any further promise of a Redeemer. 
But God is not satisfied with simply promising a Re- 
deemer; he traces for us his likeness, by which we 
may know him among the many children of David. 

Q. Why was it necessary for God to trace for us, in 
advance, the likeness of the Redeemer ? 

A. It was necessary in order that men might be 
enabled to recognize him when he should come, and 
not be exposed to take for the Messiah the first im- 
postor who should give himself out as such. 

Q, How has God given us the likeness or descrip- 
tion of the Messiah ? 

A. God has given us the likeness or description of 
the Messiah in two ways: 1st, by figures; 2d, by 
prophecies. By figures, in Adam the Messiah is re- 
presented to us as the father of the new world ; in 
Abel, he is represented as put to death by his brethren ; 
in Isaac, as offered in sacrifice on Calvary, by the 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 107 

hand of his own father; in the paschal lamb and the 
manna, as saving men from the exterminating angel, 
and nourishing them with food from heaven ; in the 
brazen serpent, as elevated on the cross, and heaimg 
our wounds, received from the infernal serpent. 

Q. Continue. 

A. fn David, overcoming a giant, notwithstanding 
the inequality of their strength, persecuted by an un- 
natural son, and ascending, barefooted and weeping, 
the mountain of Olives; in Jonas, preaching penance 
to the Jews, who refuse to hear him; remaining three 
days and nights in the depths of the sea, then coming 
forth full of life, and preaching to the Gentiles, who 
are converted. 

Q. What is the second manner ? 

A. The second manner in which God gives us the 
likeness or description of the Messiah, is the prophecies. 
They dissipate every cloud, and finish what the figures 
had but sketched. 

Q,. What say the prophets ? 

A. The prophets, in speaking of the Messiah, desig- 
nate him thus : '* he shall be born at Bethlehem, of a 
mother ever virgin, when the sceptre of David shall 
have passed into the hands of a stranger prince ; he 
shall be adored in his cradle by kings, who shall offer 
him presents of gold and perfumes ; on the occasion of 
his birth, the little children of Bethlehem will be put to 
death; he shall retire into Egypt; he shall be mildness 
itself; he shall cure the sick, and raise the dead; he 
shall enter, in triumph, into Jerusalem, seated upon an 
ass, followed by its foal; he shall enter the second 
temple ; the Jews shall deny him." 

Q. What further do they say .? 

A. They say, further, that ** the Messiah shall be 
betrayed by one of those who eat at his table ; he shall 
be sold for thirty pieces of silver; this silver shall be 
carried back into the temple, and given to a potter; he 
shall be abused, and covered with spittle ; his hands 



108 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

and feet shall be pierced, and he shall not so much ag 
open his mouth to complain ; he shall be placed be- 
tween two malefactors ; he shall have vinegar to drink ; 
his clothes shall be divided, and lots cast lor his robe." 

Q. Continue. 

A. "He shall be put to death; and that, says 
Daniel, shall happen in four hundred and ninety years; 
he shall remain three days in his sepulchre ; he shall 
come forth from it, full of life, shall ascend into heaven 
and shall send down the Holy Ghost upon his dis- 
ciples; finally, he shall convert all nations. To punish 
the Jews for having put him to death, their temple 
and their city shall be destroyed, and they themselves 
shall be wanderers and vagabonds throughout the 
whole earth, until towards the close of the world." 

Q. Who, therefore, is the Messiah ? 

A. The description given by the prophets leads us 
directly to Bethlehem, and we recognize, as the Mes- 
siah, Jesus, the son of Mary, to whom, and to whom 
alone, the description corresponds in every particular. 

Q. To whom did God entrust the safe-keeping of all 
these astonishing prophecies ? 

A. It was precisely to the Jews themselves, the 
sworn enemies of Jesus Christ, that God entrusted the 
safe-keeping of the prophecies, which prove that Jesus. 
Christ is the Messiah whom they have rejected ; and 
by an unheard of prodigy, the Jews preserve, most re- 
ligiously, these prophecies; they love them, they 
defend them, and carry them with them all over the 
earth. 



CHAPTER XLV. 
Preparation for the Messiah — Monarchy of the As- 
syrians and Persians. (A, C. 900-460.) 

Q. What do you mean by preparation for the Messiah ? 
A. By preparation for the Messiah, we mean that 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 109 

Providence made all the events of the world concur for 
the glory of the Messiah, and for the establishing of 
his reign, which is the gospel. 
Q. How do you prove this truth ? 
A. To prove this truth, we must bear in mind that, 
from all eternity, God had resolved: 1st, that the 
promise and the religion of the Messiah, that is to say, 
the true religion, should be preserved among the Jewish 
people, down to the coming of our Lord ; 2d, that the 
Messiah should be born of the Jewish people, of the 
tribe of Juda and of the family of David, in the small 
city of Bethlehem ; 3d, that the reign of the Messiah, 
that is, the* gospel, should be established, with great 
rapidity, from one end of the world to the other, 
Q. What would you prove from this ? 
A. We w^ould prove that the events which happened 
among the Jewish people, and among infidel nations, all 
concurred for the accomplishment of this great design. 
Q. How do you prove that the events which have 
taken place among the Jews, and among infidel nations, 
have concurred to preserve among the Jewish people 
the promise and religion of the Messiah; that is to 
say, the true religion .' 

A. It was to preserve among the Jews the perpetual 
remembrance of the Messiah, that God so often re- 
newed the promise ; that he prefigured him in very 
many ways, and continued to trace out his character- 
istics by the voice of his prophets, 
Q. Continue. 

A, It was to preserve the religion of the Messiah, 
that is to say, the worship of the true God among the 
Jews, that Moses established so many laws and cere- 
monies, destined to prevent that people from falling 
into idolatry; that God, after they had fallen into 
idolatry, forced them by great calamities, to forsake 
the idols and return to him. Finally, it was for this 
same end that God established, not far from Judea, 
the great monarchy of the Assyrians. 
10 



110 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. How do you prove that the great monarchy of 
the Assyrians, or Babylon, was established to preserve 
the worship of the true God among the Jews ? 

A. We prove that the great monarchy of the As- 
syrians, or Babylon, was established to preserve the 
worship of the true God among the Jews, by the very 
words of Isaias the prophet. He says that " the As- 
syrians are a rod, which God uses to correct his peo- 
ple as often as they fall into idolatry, and to force them, 
to return to the worship of the true God." 

Q. Was this prophecy accomplished ? 

A. Yes, this prophecy was perfectly accomplished. 
The Assyrians corrected the Jewish people so effect- 
ually of their inclination for idolatry, that after the 
captivity of Babylon, ithey never fell into it again. 
Then the empire of Assyria, having fultiiled its mis- 
sion, passed by the order of God into the hands of 
the Persians. 

Q. How do you show that the events which took 
place among the Jews, and the infidel nations, con- 
curred to cause the Messiah to be born of the tribe of 
Juda, and of the family of David, in the small city of 
Bethlehem ? 

A. It was to cause the Messiah to be born at Beth- 
lehem, that God, two thousand years before, called 
Abraham into the land of Judea; that he promised to 
pve that land to his descendants; that he moved 
heaven and earth to bring the Jews out of Egypt, and 
conduct them to that country in which Bethlehem was 
situated, and that he kept them there, despite the 
neighboring nations. 

Q. Continue. 

A. It was for this that, amongst the many import- 
ant cities burnt and destroyed, God always preserved 
the little city of Bethlehem ; that in the partition of 
the promised land this city fell to the tribe of Juda, 
and at a later period became the inheritance and 
dwelling-place of the family of David. Finally, it 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. Ill 

was for this he established the great monarchy of the 
Persians, the second of the four great empires, foretold 
by DanieL 

Q. How do yon prove that the great monarchy of 
the Persians was established to cause the Messiah to 
be born in Judea ? 

A. It is proved by the very words of the prophet 
Tsaias. He calls Cyrus, by name, two hundred years 
before the birth of that prince, and says that the Lord 
shall make him victorious over his enemies, in order to 
free the Jewish people from the captivity of Babylon, 
to conduct them back into Judea, in which was the 
little city, of Bethlehem, the patrimony of the family of 
David. 

Q. Was this prophecy accomplished ? 

A. This prophecy was accomplished to the letter. 
Cyrus and his successors delivered the Jews from the 
captivity of Babylon ; gave them liberty to return to 
Judea; retained them there, notwithstanding the efforts 
of their enemies, and they remained there until after 
the birth of the Messiah. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 

• Preparation for the Messiah — History of Judith. 
(Jl. C. 810.) 

Q. What does the history of Judith show us ? 

A. The history of Judith shows us that God always 
watched over the deposit of the great promise of a Re- 
deemer confided to the Jewish people. The Assyrians, 
who were destined to punish them whenever they 
fell into idolatry, endeavored several times td destroy 
them ; but the Sovereign Master, who had sent them 
only to punish, took care to check their fury. 

Q. How do you show^ this ? 

A. Nabuchadonofior the 1st, proud of his victories. 



III 



112 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

undertook to subject to his dominion all the people of 
the East, and to destroy their religion, in order to 
cause himself alone to be adored. He sent, therefore, 
a formidable army, commanded by Holophernes, to 
subjugate all the nations. Holophernes obtained great 
victories, and arrived on the frontiers of Judea. 
Q. What did the Jews do ? 

A. The Jews had recourse to the Lord by prayer, 
repentance, and fasting. The small city of Bethulia 
was the first place attacked. 
Q. Who was Judith ? 

A. Judith was a holy widow, who passed her life 
in prayer, fasting, and good works. The inhabitants 
of Bethulia seeing themselves besieged, resolved to 
surrender at the end of five days, if they were not de- 
livered by the Lord before that time. Judith induced 
them to redouble their prayers, and having gone forth 
from the city, repaired to the camp of the Assyrians. 
Q. Whither was she conducted ^ 
A. She was conducted by the soldiers to the tent of 
Holophernes. This general having interrogated her, 
assigned her a tent, and ordered every mark of respect 
to be shown to her. 

Q. What happened after ? 

A. The fourth day after the arrival of Judith, Holo- 
phernes gave a great feast to all his officers. He 
drank to such an excess, that he was obliged to be 
placed on his couch, where he was soon buried in a 
deep sleep, Judith alone, with her maid, remaining in 
the tent. 

Q. What did Judith do .? 

A. Judith, who alone had remained with her maid, 
recommended herself to God, approached the couch, 
and cut off his head. She gave the head to her maid, 
who concealed it in a sack, and they both regained the 
gates of Bethulia. Having entered the gates, she bade 
all the people to bless the Lord, and showed them the 
head of Holophernes. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 113 

Q. What did the Israelites do ? 

A. The Israelites made a sally, when the Assyrians, 
finding their general killed, fled in great confusion. A 
great slaughter ensued, and thirty days were occupied 
in collecting the spoils. Judith, a figure of the Blessed 
Virgin, resumed her life of prayer and penance. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 

Preparation for the Messiah — History of Tobias. 
(A. C. 611.) 

Q. What was the design of God in causing the 
Israelites to be transported to Ninive ? 

A. The design of God in causing the ten separated 
tribes to be transported to Ninive, was 1st, to punish 
their want of fidelity ; 2d, to spread among the infidels 
the knowledge of the true religion, and consequently, 
of the promise of the Messiah, which w^as its first arti- 
cle of belief. 

- Q. How do you show this truth ? 
»'. A. The holy man Tobias, being led into captivity at 
Ninive, said by the inspiration of the Lord : Giveglcny 
to the Lord, ye children of Israel; because he has there- 
fore scattered you among the Gentiles, that you 'inay de^ 
dare his wondeyful ivorks, and make them know that 
there is no other *Blmighty God besides him, 

Q. What is the history of Tobias? 

A. Tobias, appointed like the other captives to 
spread the truth and prepare the- way for the gospel, 
was of the tribe of Nephthali. He passed his child- 
hood and youth in perfect innocence, and was carried 
captive to Ninive with his wife and his son. 

Q. What was his occupation ? 

A. His constant occupation was to do good to the 
Israelites, his fellow captives ; he shared with them 
what little remained of his means, and devoted his 
10* 



114 CATECHISBI OF PERSEVERANCE. 

time to the burying of those whom the king of Ninive 
put to death. One day, having returned home from 
this work of charity, he fell asleep under the eaves oi 
his house, where filth fell from the nests of some 
swallows upon his eyes and deprived him of sight. 

Q. What did he do then ? 

A. Thinking himself near his death, he called his 
son, the young Tobias, and, like a Christian father, 
recommended to him the fear of God and charity for 
the poor. 

Q. Whither did he send his son ? 

A. He sent his son to Rages, a city of Media, to re- 
ceive a sum of money which he had lent to one of his 
relatives, named Gabelus. The young Tobias set out 
accompanied by an angel. He married Sara, the 
daughter of Raguel, a near, relation of his father. 

Q. What did the young Tobias do afterwards ? 

A. Still under the conduct of the angel, he returned 
with his wife and great riches to his father and mother. 
He restored his father to sight by rubbing his eyes with 
the gall of a fish. This holy old man had the consola- 
tion to see his son prosper and follow the good exam- 
ple and wise counsels which he had given him. His 
grandchildren also walked in the way of virtue all 
their life. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 

Preparation for the Messiah — Histonj of Esther. 
(Jl. C. 460.) 

Q. What does the history of Esther show us? 

A. The history of Esther shows us that God chose 
the monarchy of the Persians to prepare for the Mes- 
siah, by protecting the Jews, conducting them back into 
Judea, and sustaining them there notwithstanding all 
their enemies ; to the end that our Lord should be born 
in Bethlehem, according to the oracles of the prophets. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 115 

Q. How do you show this truth ? 

A. The Assyrians, having resolved to destroy the 
Jewish people, whom they had been commissioned only 
to punish, lost all their power, and their empire passed 
into the hands of the Persians. The Persians were 
very favorable to the Jews, and all those who opposed 
the kind treatment of the Jews fell victims to their own 
wickedness. Of this number was Aman. 

Q. What is the history of Aman ? 

A. Aman w^as the chief favorite of Assuerus, king 
of Persia. His pride was such that he wished every 
one to bend the knee in adoration to him whenever he 
passed. Mardochai, a Jew by birth, refused compli- 
ance, because his conscience forbade him to render to 
man a homage due to God alone. Aman resolved to 
avenge himself and to destroy the whole Jewish peo- 
ple. 

Q. Who saved them ? 

A. Esther, the wife of Assuerus, saved them. She 
was the niece of Mardochai ; but Aman was not aware 
of this. She invited the king to come with Aman to 
a banquet which she had prepared. At the close of 
the banquet, the king demanded of the queen what it 
was she desired of him. Esther asked of him to come 
again the next day with Aman to her banquet. 

Q. What happened there ? 

A. The king asked Esther what it was she desired, 
and said to her. Although thou ask the half of my king- 
dom, thou shalt have it. Esther replied : Give me my 
Ufe for whicKJ ask, and my people for which I request; 
for we are given up, I and my people, to be destroyed, to 
be slain and to perish. The king, astonished, demand- 
ed who had dared to do such a thing. Esther replied : 
It is this Aman. 

Q. What did Assuerus do ? 

A. Assuerus ordered Aman to be hung on the very 
gibbet he had prepared for Mardochai. The order of 
the king was executed. Mardochai, became the prime 



116 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

minister of Assueriis, and all the Jews were saved. 
They celebrated ever afterwards the day of their deliv- 
erance, by prayers, innocent festivities, and alms to the 
poor. It is thus our gratitude to God should be shovrn. 



CHAPTER XLIX. 

Preparation for the Messiah — Monarchy of the Greeks 

and Romans, (A, C, 336-170.) 

Q. How did the great monarchy of the Greeks con- 
cur for the glory of the Messiah and the establishing 
of his reign, which is the gospel ? 

A. God had resolved from all eternity that the reign 
of the JMessiah, that is to say, the gospel, should be 
established with rapidity from one end of the earth to 
the other. The great monarchy of the Greeks, founded 
by Alexander, was established to contribute to this 
design, by preparing the way for the gospel. 

Q. In how many ways did the monarchy of the 
Greeks prepare the way for the gospel ? 

A. The monarchy of the Greeks prepared the way 
for the gospel in three ways. 

Q. What is the first .' 

A. First. By spreading over a large portion of the 
world, it rendered very common the Greek language in 
which the gospel was to be published, not only orally 
but particularly by written teachings. 

Q. What is the second ? 

A. Secondly. It attracted the Jews to nearly every 
part of the earth. These new missionaries made the 
true God known to the different nations, and by this 
means prepared them to receive the light of the gospel. 

Q. What w^as the third? 

A. It procured for all these nations a knowledge of 
the sacred Scriptures. 



i' 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 117 

Q. How SO ? 

A. One of the successors of Alexander, liamed Ptol- 
emy, king of Egypt, established at Alexandria, the cap- 
ital of his kingdom, a valuable library, which soon 
became the resort of the learned of all countries. This 
king, having learned that the Jews had a book contain- 
ing the laws of Moses and the history of his people, 
had it translated from Hebrew into Greek, in order to 
enrich his library. 

Q. To whom did he apply ? 

A. He applied to the high priest Eleazar, who sent 
him a copy of the Sacred Books, written in letters of 
gold, and seventy-two of the more learned ancients to 
make the translation. It was deposited in the library 
of Alexandria, and is called the Septuagint version. 

Q. How did the fourth monarchy foretold by Daniel, 
that is, the monarchy of the Romans, contribute to the 
glory of the Messiah and the establishment of his 
reign, which is the gospel ? 

A. When the monarchy of the Greeks had accom- 
plished its mission of preparing the minds of men for 
the preaching of the gospel, God caused that monarchy 
to pass into the hands of the Romans. The Romans 
were destined by Providence to open and afiord an easy 
communication from one end of the world to the other 
for those who were to preach the gospel. 

Q. What was necessary for this ? 

A. For this it was necessary to throw down all the 
wails of division which still separated the different peo- 
ple, to reduce all nations to one single kingdom, and 
establish a universal peace. This was the task as- 
signed to the Roman empire. Daniel had predicted it, 
in saying that this empire would be like a terrible beast, 
with teeth of iron of enormous size, which should de- 
vour all, break all in pieces, and trample under foot 
all that he had not torn to pieces. 

Q. How did the Roman empire contribute to the 
glory of the Messiah ? 

A. The empire of the Romans, contributed to the 



118 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

glory of the Messiah by procuring the accomplishment 
of the celebrated prophecy of Jacob, who foretold that 
the Messiah should come when a stranger should be 
seated on the throne of Juda The Roman senate hav- 
ing appointed Herod, an Idumean, king of the Jews, 
the Messiah came into the world. 

Q. To what reflection does the succession of the 
four great monarchies give rise ? 

A The succession of the four great monarchies 
gives rise to the reflection that God from on high gov- 
erns all the empires of the earth as well as all events; 
and that before Jesus Christ, he made them serve for 
the accomplishment of his grand design, the salvation 
of man through the establishment of the reign of the 
Messiah ; and that since Jesus Christ, he still makes 
them serve for the accomplishment of his grand design, 
the salvation of man through the preservation and 
propagation of the reign of the Messiah. 



^ CHAPTER L. 

Preparation for the Messiah — History of the Machahees, 
(d. C. 170.) 

Q. What is the history of the Machabees ? 

A. The history of the Machabees is the history of 
the Jews during the latter period which preceded the 
Messiah. As the family of the Machabees acted the 
most conspicuous part during that period, it gave its 
name to the history of the whole people. 

Q What does this history teach us ? 

A. This history teaches us that God did not, for a 
moment, cease to prepare the Gentiles and the Jews 
for the coming of the Redeemer. The dispersion of 
the Jews and their long sojourn at Ninive and Babylon, 
with their voyages in the East and West after the 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 119 

conquests of Alexander, had every where spread the 
knowledge of their religion, the fundamental article 
of which was the expectation of the Messiah. In order 
to nciainlain and strengthen this knowledge, Providence 
permitted, during the three last centuries which pre- 
ceded the coming of the Messiah, that the Gentiles 
should have continual intercourse with the Jews, and 
that they should be witnesses of prodigies well calcu- 
lated to make them know the true God. 

Q. Can you cite one of these prodigies ? 

A. Seleucus, king of Syria, wished to carry away 
the treasures of the temple of Jerusalem. He sent 
Heliodorus, superintendent of his treasure, to seize 
upon them. When Heliodorus entered the temple, two 
angels, in the guise of horsemen, overthrew his guards 
and compelled them to fly. 

Q. What happened to Heliodorus ? 

A. Heliodorus was stricken to the ground, and 
scourged with rods, and his life was spared through 
the prayers of the high priest Onias. 

Q. What was the eflect of this miracle ? 

A. It made the God of Israel more than ever know^n 
and respected. Heliodorus, humbled and reformed, re- 
turned from Jerusalem, publishing every where the 
power of the true God. 

Q. How did God prepare the Jews themselves for 
the near approach of the Messiah ? 
. A. God prepared the Jews themselves for the near 
approach of the Messiah, by sending them constant 
tirals ; for trials and sufferings serve to purify, humble 
and sanctify us, — and then obtain for us the grace to 
know and love the truth. 

Q. What were these trials.? 

A. These trials were the continual wars which were 
waged against them by the kings of Syria, and by the 
Romans. The Jews were, however, more faithful' than 
ever to God. There were even many martyrs among 
hem, under Antiochus, who endeavored to destroy 
treligion entirely in Judea. 



120 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Who were the principal martyrs ? 

A. The principal were Eieazar, and the seven broth- 
ers, Machabees, with their mother. 

Q. What did the blood of the martyrs effect ? 

A. The blood of the martyrs caused the Jews to 
avoid the company of infidels, to love their own re- 
ligion, and cherish their faith, which every day be- 
came more lively. If the Pharisees had not deceived 
them by teaching them to look for a Messiah, who 
would be a great conqueror, they would have recog- 
nized and received the Messiah, and not drawn upon 
themselves the terrible chastisements with which they 
have been visited for more than eighteen hundred 
years. 



CHAPTER LI. 
Unity of Religion and of the Church. 

Q. What conclusion must we draw from this first 
part of the Catechism ? 

A. From this first part of the Catechism we must 
draw this conclusion : that religion, whose children we i 
are, goes back to the beginning of the world, and that 
it has always been one and the same, although not at 
all times as fully taught as at later periods. 

Q. How do you show in a few words that religion 
has always been one and the same ? 

A. Religion has always been one and the same in 
its Author, who is the Messiah. Whether expected, 
or already come, Jesus Christ has ever been the foun- 
dation of religion; eternal salvation was never at any 
time possible except through him. 

Q. Has religion been always one and the same in 
her doctrine ? 

A. She has always been one and the same in her 
doctrine. With respect to God, she has always be- 
lieved and taught from the beginning of the world, thatj 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 121 

there is but one only God, infinitely perfect, the Crea- 
tor and Preserver of all things ; that a Redeemer should 
save the v^^orld, and that the Spirit of the Lord should 
sanctify us by his grace ; only these truths are more 
clearly known to Christians than they were to the 
Jews* 

Q. What has she always believed and taught con- 
cerning man ? 

A. Concerning man, religion has always believed 
and taught that he was created to the likeness of God ; 
that he is composed of a body, and a soul which is 
spiritual, free and immortal ; that man is fallen, through 
his own fault ; that all m,en are born in a state of sin 
and degradation ; that they will all rise at the last day, 
and that there shall be eternal rewards for the just^ and 
eternal punishments for the wicked. 

Q. With regard to the world, what has she always 
believed and taught ? 

A. With regard to the ivorld, she has always be- 
lieved and taught that it was created out of nothing ; 
that it is governed by a God all-powerful, infinitely 
wise, and infinitely good ; that it will be purified by 
fire, and then there shall be a new heaven and a new 
earth. 

Q. Has religion been always the same in her mor- 
ality and in her worship ? 

A. Yes. Religion has always been the same in her 
morality, and in her wm^ship. She has always ad- 
mitted the same distinction between good and evil; al- 
ways commended the same virtues and condemned the 
same vices. In her worship she has never failed to 
practice the two essential acts of worship, viz: prayer 
and sacrifice, 

Q. And in her object ? 

A. Her object has always been to destroy sin in the 
world, and to lead men to happiness. 

Q. In her means ? 

A. In her means she has always believed that man 
11 



122 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

has need of grace, whereby to be saved ; she has al- 
ways taught the manner and furnished the naeans of 
obtaining it. Only, the Christian religion, that is to 
say, religion as taught by our Lord, is more perfect 
and is richer in graces, than it was before the coming 
of the Messiah. 

Q. Can it be said that the church has always been 
one and the same ? 

A. Yes, it can be said that the church has always 
been one and the same. Tn order to protect religion, 
and to teach it to mankind, an exterior, visible, and 
perpetual society was necessary; this society is the 
church. It, • therefore, commenced with religion, and 
has always kept pace with it. 

Q. How do you explain this truth } 

A. We find the church existing at every period, 
from the beginning of the world, tinder the Patriarchs 
it was restricted, like religion, to the family ; under 
Moses, it expanded, like religion, into a national state ; 
and finally, under the gospel, it extended, like religion, 
to all people, of whom it made but one family. 

Q. How do you show that the church, like re- 
ligion, is the same since Christ as it was before the 
coming of the Messiah ? 

A. The church, since Jesus Christ, is the same as 
before the coming of the Messiah; first, in its founder, 
who is God ; and second, in her object, which has al- 
ways been the preservation and teaching of religion ; 
she recognizes the same holy books ; she has a tri- 
bunal to explain them; a sovereign pontiff, and differ- 
ent orders of the sacred ministers; she has her day of 
rest, consecrated to the Lord ; she has her grand so- 
lemnities and feasts. 

Q. Continue, 

A. Since Jesus Christ, as before him, the church 
has always been attacked, sometimes by strangers, 
sometimes by her own children ; she has had her great 
schism, which has separated many of her children from 



I 



H 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 123 

her; but ail her afflictions redound to her glory; as 
formerly, all revolutions of empires, all other events, 
aided her to attain her end, the establishment of the 
gospel, so also do they now combine for its preserva- 
tion and diffusion ; as formerly nothing could destroy 
her, so now neither hell nor the world shall prevail 
against her. 



CHAPTER LI I. 

Influence of Religion. 

Q. What were the effects of religion amongst the 
Israelites ? 

A. The effects of religion among the Israelites, were 
to make them more enlightened, more virtuous, and 
more happy than any of the ancient people. This is 
easy to be seen, in studying the condition of the family, 
of society, and of religion, amongst the people of God. 

Q. What was the family among the Jews? 

A. The family is the foundation of government ; and 
good order in a family depends on the authority of 
parents. This authority was very great, and much re- 
spected among the Jews. 

Q, What was their education ? 

A. Their education was simple, but solid. Parents 
taught their children what w^as necessary for life, and 
also the history of their nation. Each Israelite was 
obliged to memorize those passages in Moses and the 
Prophets, which reminded them of the wonders of the 
Lord. 

Q. What w^as society among the Jews ? 

A. Society amongst the Jecvs was far superior to 
that among the pagans. The Jew^s had admirable laws, 
which condemned every kind of disorder, which com- 
bated ambition, and w^hich forbade them to enrich 
themselves at the expense of one another. There w^as 
nothing of this kind among the pagans. 



124 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Cite one of these laws ? 

A. Among these laws was one of those of the Ju- 
bilee. In virtue of this law, every man at the end of 
every fifty years entered again upon possession of the 
property he had sold, so that there existed great 
equality among ail the families. 

Q. What was the state of religion ? 

A. The religion of the Jews, being the true religion, 
was more perfect than that of the other nations. Its 
doctrine was true, its morality pure, and its worship 
holy and magnificent. 

Q. What were the principal feasts of the Jews ? 

A. The principal feasts of the Jews, were the Pass- 
over, Pentecost, and the feast of the Tabernacle. It 
was on the second day of the feast of the Passover 
that they offered to the Lord, as the sole Master of all 
things, the first fruits of the harvest. After the gath- 
ering of the fruits, the Israelites came also to Jerusa- 
lem to offer the first fruits to the Lord, in the temple. 

Q. What were their fasts ? 

A. The Jews had one day of general fast ; this was 
the festival of the expiations. It was on this day only 
that the high priest entered the Holy of Holies. One 
he-goat was sacrificed, and another, after being loaded 
with the curse of all the sins of the people, was driven 
into the desert; it was called the scape-goat, or emis- 
sary goat. It represented our Lord loaded with the 
sins of the world, and led out of Jerusalem to be put 
to death. There were also extraordinary days of fast- 
ing in times of public calamity, or particular affliction. 

Q. What fruit do you derive from this first part of 
the Catechism.? 

A. Much fruit may be derived from this first part 
of the Catechism ; 1st, to believe, firmly, that God has 
never ceased to work for our salvation ; 2d, to believe 
that religion is the greatest of all blessings; 3d, to 
love God, as a dutiful child loves its mother; 4th, to 
keep his commandments with courage and fidelity. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 125 



COURSE SECOND. 

CHAPTER I. 

State of the world at the coming of the Messiah. 

Q. What was the state of the world at the cominff 
of the Messiah ? 

A. The Roman empire, as foretold by Daniel, had 
subjected all nations to its sway. The world was in 
peace, under the reign of Augustus ; but all the na- 
tions were buried in the darkest idolatry. 

Q. What is idolatry ? 

A. Idolatry is the worship of false deities. The pa- 
gans adored not only the sun, moon and the earth, but 
even thej vilest creatures, and attributed to their gods 
all the passions of men. 

Q. VVhat was the condition of the Jews } 

A. Truth, w^hich was expiring among pagan nations, 
bade fair to perish among the Jews also. There were 
in judea four principal sects, who were altering the 
truth, and destroying its influence on the mind. 
* Q. What were these different sects ? 

A. The different sects prevailing among the Jews at 
the coming of the Messiah, were the Pharisees, the 
Sadducees, the Essenians and the Herodians. 

Q. Who were the Pharisees .' 

A. The Pharisees were a sect who had added to the 
aw of Moses a number of traditions and supersti- 
tions, and ridiculous practices. They were proud, ava- 
ricious, ambitious hypocrites, and sworn enemies of 
our Lord. 

Q. Who were the Sadducees ? 

A. The Sadducees were men who rejected the tradi- 
tions of the ancients, the immortality of the soul and 
the resurrection of the body. Although not so nume- 
rous as the Pharisees, they still had a great deal of in- 
fluence, because they were the first men of the nation. 
11* 



126 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Who were the Essenians? 

A. The Essenians were sectarians who rejected all 
traditions, and denied the resurrection of the body, and 
the spirituality of the soul. They lived at a distance 
from the large cities, and practiced great austerities. 

Q. Who were the Herodians? 

A. The Herodians were men attached to the court 
of Herod, and professed a very dangerous morality. 

Q. How was Palestine divided at the coming of the 
Messiah ? 

A. At the coming of the Messiah, Palestine was di- 
vided into three parts. The first was Samaria, whose 
inhabitants were called Samaritans. They were con- 
verts to the Jewish religion, with which they had 
mingled many errors. 

Q. What were these errors ? 

A. 1. Of all the Scriptures they recognized only the 
five books of Moses ; 2, they rejected the traditions of 
the Jewish doctors ; 3, they maintained that God was 
to be adored on Mount Garizine, and not at Jerusalem. 
The Jews held them in detestation. 

Q. Which was the second part of Palestine ? 

A. The second part of Palestine was Galilee, whose 
inhabitants were called Galileans. They were Israel- 
ites of the ten tribes, who after their return from cap- 
tivity at Ninive, had rebuilt some of the cities of the 
ancient kingdom of Israel. They practiced the same 
religion as the Jews. 

Q. Which was the third part .' 

A. The third part was Judea, of which Jerusalem 
was the capital. This part of Palestine was opcupied 
by the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who on their re- 
turn from the captivity of Babylon, had rebuilt Jerusa- 
lem and the temple. 

Q. To what nation were the Jews tributary at the 
birth of the Messiah ? 

A. At the birth of the Messiah, the Jews were trib- 
utary to the Romans, who had imposed a tribute upon 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 127 

them, and deprived them of the right of putting crimi- 
nals to death. This was a proof that the sovereign 
power was no longer in their hands, and that the Mes- 
siah was at hand. 



CHAPTER II. 
Birth of the Messiah, 

Q. Were all nations expecting the Messiah when 
our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world ? 

A. Yes, when our Lord was born, all nations were 
expecting an extraordinary personage, who should 
reign over the world, and establish in it the empire of 
justice and virtue. In the first place, the Jews knew, 
in accordance with the prophecies, that the Messiah was 
at hand ; but, blinded by the Pharisees, they expected, 
in the Messiah, a conqueror who should deliver them 
from the yoke of the nations. It was in this very hope 
they undertook, notwithstanding their weakness, to 
sustain a war against all the power of the Roman 
empire. 

Q. And the pagans ? 

A. The pagans, also, relying upon their ancient tra- 
ditions, were at that time expecting the coming of an 
extraordinary personage. «'/i5 ivas the general convic- 
tion/' says Tacitus, 'Hhat the ancient hooks of the 
priests announced that at this period the East ivould 
nave the ascendency, and that from out of Judea should 
go forth the masters of the world,^' 

Q. Is this fact well attested.? 

A. This fact is so well attested, that even the great- 
est enemies of religion are obliged to admit it. 

Q. What do you remark ? 

A. I remark that since the coming of Jesus Christ, 
all nations have ceased to look for the Messiah ; 



128 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

whence we must conclude either that alJ nations have 
been deceived in expecting the Messiah, and in recog- 
nizing Jesus Christ as such ; or that our Lord Jesus 
Christ IS the Messiah promised by the prophets and 
expected by all nations. 

Q. What is the history of the birth of the Messiah ? 

A. When the time marked by the prophets vfas ac- 
complished, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Blessed 
Virgin, who dwelt in the city of Nazareth. The angel 
said to her, Hail, full of p^ace, the Lord is with thee. 
Behold, thou shalt bring forth a son. He shall be 
great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High. 

Q. What reply did the Blessed Virgin make? 

A. The Blessed Virgin replied. Behold the handmaid 
of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word. 
Then the angel disappeared, and the God-man was 
formed by the power of the Holy Ghost in the chaste 
womb of Mary. An edict of the emperor Augustus 
obliged the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph to repair to 
Bethlehem, where the Messiah was to be born. 

Q. How was his birth announced.^ 

A. His birth was announced by angels, who sang 
this canticle, which is the abridgment o1 all the works 
of the Messiah : Glory to God on high' and peace on 
earth to men of good will. 

Q. By whom was the new-born Messiah adored .' 

A. The new-born Messiah was adored, tirst by the 
Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, and then by the shep- 
herds, who hastened to publish every where the won- 
derful mystery which they had witnessed. 

Q. On what occasion did our Lord receive the name 
of Jesus? 

A. Our Lord received the name of Jesus on the oc- 
casion of his circumcision. 

Q. What does the word Jesus mean ? 

A. The word Jesus means Saviour. Our Lord is 
thus called, because he has saved all men from the 
sla^ry of their pas.sions, of the devil, and of sin. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 129 

Q. Did God make known the birth of the Messiah 
only to the Jews ? 

A. God made known the birth of the Messiah to the 
Gentiles also. A short time after his birth, a miracu- 
lous star appeared in the heavens. The Magi, (that is, 
wise men of the East,) havins: seen it, came to adore 
the Lord and to offer him gifts of gold, frankincense 
and myrrh. 

Q. Why was the Messiah born in poverty, humilia- 
tion and suffering ? 

A. He was born, and he lived and died in poverty, 
humiliation and suffering, 1 , to expiate sin ; 2, to cure 
us of its consequences ; 3, to set us an example. 



CHAPTER III. 
Hidden Life of our Lord Jesm Christ. 

Q. What did the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph do 
after the circumcision ^ 

A. After the circumcision the Blessed Virgin and St. 
Joseph remained in Bethlehem till the adoration of the 
Magi. They then went to Jerusalem to present the 
child Jesus in the temple. 

Q. Why did they present the child Jesus in the tem- 
ple of Jerusalem ? 

A. They presented the child Jesus in the temple of 
Jerusalem, to comply with a requisition of the la^ of 
Moses, which ordered that every first born, if a male, 
should be presented in the temple, as belonging to the 
Lord. 

Q,. Why did the Blessed Virgin present herself in the 
temple } 

A. The Blessed Virgin presented herself in the tem- 
ple to comply with the law which required that every 
woman who had given birth to a child, should come to 
purify herself before the Lord. The Blessed Virgin and 



130 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

our Lord, who were not bound to submit to these laws, 
wished to fulfil them, to teach us humility and obedi- 
ence. 

Q. What happened whilst they were in the temple? 

A. Whilst they were in the temple, it happened that 
a holy old man, named Simeon, also came into the tem- 
ple. Having received the infant Jesus 'm his arms, he 
announced the future greatness of the Messiah, and the 
sorrows of the Blessed Virgin. 

Q. Whither did the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph 
then go ? 

A. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph then went in- 
to Egypt. Herod finding? that the Magi did not return, 
ordered all the children in Bethlehem and around it, of 
the age of two years and under, to be put to death, 
thinking to include in this massacre the new King of 
the Jews ; but St. Joseph, warned by an angel, had iled 
to Egypt with the infant and his mother. 

Q. What did St. Joseph do after the death of Herod ? 

A. After the death of Herod, St. Joseph returned to 
Palestine, and fixed his abode at Nazareth in Galilee. 
He did not venture to reside in Judea proper, because 
Archilaus, the son of Herod, was reigning there. He 
went, nevertheless, every year to Jerusalem to celebrate 
the Passover. 

Q. What happened on one of these annual visits ? 

A. It happened that our Lord, then twelve years of 
age, separated from St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin. 
He remained in the temple in the midst of the doctors, 
whom he astonished by the wisdom of his questions 
and answers. It was there his parents found him on 
the third day. 

Q. What did the Blessed Virgin say to him ? 

A. The Blessed Virgin having asked him why he 
had quit them, he gave them this answer, replete with 
instruction : Did you not know that I must be about the 
things that are my Father's f By this he teaches us 
that we must prefer the will of God to all things. He 



CATECHISBI OF PERSEVERANCE. 131 

returned then to Nazareth with St. Joseph and the 
Blessed Virgin, and ivas subject to them, 

Q. What do you remark on these last words, and 
was subject to them ? 

A, 1 remark on these words, that they contain the 
whole life of our Lord till he was thirty years old. 
Our Lord wished to live in obedience to two of his crea- 
tures, in order to teach us that virtue, and confound for 
ever our pride. 



CHAPTER IV 



Public Life of our Lord — First year. 

Q. What do you understand by the public life of 
our Lord ? 

A. By the public life of our Lord, we understand, 
the time during which he preached his doctrine in Ju- 
dea. It was about three years. 

Q. How did our Lord commence his public life ? 

A. Our Lord commenced his public life, by receiving 
baptism at the hands of John the Baptist. This was 
not the sacrament of baptism, but only a symbol of 
penance, which the Precursor gave to those who repent- 
ed, and prepared for the reception of the Messiah. 

Q. What happened at the moment of our Lord's 
baptism ? 

A. At the moment of the baptism of our Lord, the 
Holy Ghost, in the form of a dove, descended upon 
him, and there was heard a voice from heaven, saying, 
Tliis is my beloved Son in whom I am vjell pleased. 

Q,. What did our Lord do after ? 

A. Our Lord having received the baptism of John, 
which w^as a public profession of penance, was pleased 
to practice it himself in all its rigor. He went into the 
desert and there spent forty days and forty nights 



132 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

without taking any food, and permitted himself to be 
tempted by the devil. 

Q. Why did our Lord permit himself to be tempted 
by the devil ? 

A. Our Lord permitted himself to be tempted by the 
devil, in order to conquer him, and to teach us the way 
to overcome his temptations. 

Q. Where did our Lord go on retiring from the 
desert ? 

A. On retiring from the desert, our Lord returned to 
the borders of the Jordan, where his first disciples were 
called. They were Andrew, and Simon Peter his bro- 
ther, and Philip, all three of the city of Bethsaida. 
Our Lord repaired with them to Cana in Galilee. 
Q. What miracle did our Lord perform in that city ? 
A. On the arrival of our Lord in the city of Cana, he 
was invited to a wedding, together with the blessed Vir- 
gin and his disciples. At the instance of his divine 
mother, he changed water into wine, teaching us there- 
by that the Blessed Virgin is all-powerful with him, 
and that he is not unmindful of our temporal wants. 
Q. What further was the effect of this miracle ? 
A. This miracle had the further effect to strengthen 
the faith of the disciples of our Lord, and to attach 
others to him. Particularly James and John, the sons 
of Zebedee, both fishermen by profession, followed the 
Saviour to Jerusalem, whither he went to celebrate the 
feast of the Passover. 

Q. What did he do at Jerusalem ? 
A. Our Lord repaired to the temple, from which he 
drove the sellers. 

Q. In what manner ? 

A. He made a scourge, and overturning their tables, 
said to them, My house is a house of prayer, and you 
have made it a den of thieves. No one dared to oppose 
him, so deeply were the profaners impressed with a 
sense of his divinity. St. Jerome considers this act 
one of the greatest miracles the Saviour had worked. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 133 

CHAPTER V. 

Public Life of our Lord — First year. 

Q. Where did Jesus Christ go, after having driven 
the sellers Irom the temple of Jerusalem ? 

A. After having driven the sellers out of the temple 
of Jerusalem, Jesus Christ set out for Galilee, passing 
by Samaria. 

Q. What happened on this journey ? 

A. On this journey he converted the Samaritan wo- 
man. The Saviour having revealed to this woman all 
that she had done, announced to her that he was the 
Messiah. She believed his words, and ran to the city 
to tell what had happened to her. The inhabitants 
came also to see the Saviour, who entered their city and 
converted a great number. 

Q. What miracle did he work at Capharnaum ? 

A. The Saviour having gone to Galilee, delivered in 
the city of Capharnaum, in the presence of a large con- 
course, a man possessed by a devil. Suddenly the devil, 
by the mouth of the possessed man, cried out, Let us 
alone, Jesus of J\'azareth, I know thee, who thou art, the 
Holy One of God. Jesus rebuked the evil spirit with 
authority, saying. Hold thy peace and go out of him. 

Q. What other miracle did he work ? 

A. The news of the delivery of the possessed man 
soon spread through all the country. People came from 
every part to see and hear the great Prophet. One day 
so great a crowd had assembled around the house in 
which he was, that it was impossible to enter. Four 
men who were carrying a paralytic in his bed, mounted 
up on the top of the house, and having made a large 
opening, let down the sick man in his bed, at the feet 
of Jesus in the midst of the assembly. 
Q. How did the Saviour begin the cure ? 

A. The Saviour seeing the faith of the man, said to 
him : Son, be of good heart, thy sins are forgiven thee, 
12 



134 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

The Scribes and Pharisees who were in the assembly 
said among themselves : This man bla pher)ies,who can 
forgive sins but God only f 

Q. What did the Saviour say to them ? 

A. The Saviour knowing their thoughts, said to 
them: Which is it easier to say to the s'ck of the palsy, 
Thy sins are forgiven thee ; or to say to him, arise, take 
vp thy bed and walk 1 But that you may know that the 
Son cf man hath power on earth to forgive sins, {lie 
saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say to thee, arise, take 
up thy bed, and go thy way into thy house. The para- 
lytic arose, took up his bed and went his way, pubhsh- 
ing the praises of God. 

Q. What did the Saviour do after this miracle ? 

A. After this miracle, which proved so clearly his 
divinity, the Saviour went out of the city, and ascended 
a mountain, where he spent the night in prayer. On 
the morrow, he chose twelve of his disciples whom he 
named apostles. The word apostle signifies sent. 

Q. What are the names of the twelve apostles. 

A. The names of the twelve apostles, are Peter; 
James and John the sons of Zebedee ; Andrew ; Philip ; 
Bartholomew ; Matthew ; Thomas ; James and Jude the 
sons of Alpheus; Simon; and Judas Iscariot, who 
betrayed him. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Public life of our Lord — First year. 

Q. What did the Saviour do after having chosen his 
twelve apostles? 

A. After having chosen his apostles, the Saviour 
made to his disciples, and a great multitude of the 
people, the admirable discourse which is called the 
Sermon on the mount. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 185 

Q. How do you divide this discourse ? 

A. This discourse can be divided into two parts. 
The first is addressed particularly to the apostles; the 
second regards all the faithful. 

Q, What does the Saviour teach in the first part? 

A. In the first part the Saviour teaches in what con- 
sists happiness; he corrects all the ideas which man 
since his fall had formed of happiness, saying that it 
is not in riches, nor in honors, nor in pleasures, that 
happiness consists, but on the contrary in a detachment 
from these things, and in the ardent desire and faithful 
practice of the Christian virtues. 

Q What further did he say ? 

A. He further said to his apostles, who were commis- 
sioned to preach one day ail these truths, that they 
must be holy, because they are the light of the world, 
and the salt of the earth. 

Q. What does the Saviour teach in the second part? 

A. He teaches that the new law is much more per- 
fect than the ancient, and therefore Christians should 
be more holy than the Jews, and alter having recom- 
mended the great precept of charity and the love of our 
enemies, he concluded with these w^ords: Be ye there- 
fore ferfecti as your heavenly Father is perfect, 

Q. What is the first means which the Saviour gives 
us to arrive at this perfection ? 

A. The first means which the Saviour gives us to 
arrive at this perfection is prayer. Ask, says he, and it 
shall be given you. If you then, being evil, know 
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more 
will your Father who is in heaven give good things to 
them that ask him ? You therefore shall pray in this 
manner: Our Father, <^c, 

Q. What is the second? 

A. The second means is fasting. When thou fastest, 
says he, anoint thy head and ivash thy face, that thou 
appear not fasting to men, but to thy Father who is in 
secret, and thy Father who is in secret will reward thee. 



136 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What is the third means ? 

A. The third means is alms-deeds. Lay not up for 
yourselves, says the Saviour, treasures on earth, where 
the rust and the moth conmme, and where thieves dig 
through and steal ; but lay up for your. ^ elves treasures 
in heaven, where neither the ru4 nor the moth doth con- 
ifume, and where thieves do not dig through nor 4eal, 

Q. VVhat do you remark on these three means? 

A. I remark that they are opposed to the three great 
passions of the heart, which are the cause of all our 
sins, and all the evils of the world. 

Q. What does the Saviour add ? 

A. The Saviour adds that we must not be too solicit- 
ous for food and raiment. He commands us to labor, 
but requires of us that we should not want confidence 
in his providence. 

Q. What follows from this ^ 

A. It follows from this that our Lord positively 
condemns all immoderate love of riches, honors and 
pleasures, the bitter fruits of sin ; and that in recalling 
man to his primitive perfection, he assures him of hap- 
piness even in this life, and shows himself to be truly 
his Saviour. 

Q. What did the Saviour do after the sermon on the 
mount ? 

A. After the sermon on the mount, the Saviour was 
pleased to confirm his doctrine by miracles, and cured a 
man struck with leprosy, and also a paralytic servant 
of the centurion. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Public life of our Lord — Second year. 

Q. What did the Saviour do after healing the servant 
of the centurion } 
A. After healing the servant of the centurion, the 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 137 

Saviour performed many other miracles. He healed 
the woman afflicted for many years with an issue of 
blood ; he raised to life the young girJ of twelve years 
of age ; and gave the people a great many vi^holesome 
instructions. 

Q. What further did he do ? 

A. In order to lay the foundations of the ecclesiasti- 
cal hierarchy, he associated to himself a certain num- 
ber of disciples, who were afterwards under the apos- 
■ ties to labor in preaching the gospel ; and in order to 
form them to their vocation, he chose to have them as 
his co-laborers, and witnesses of his miracles. 

Q What miracles did he work in their presence } 

A. He w^orked many miracles in their presence, and 
amongst others, that of raising to life the son of the 
widow of Nain. The corpse was on the way to be in- 
terred, when our Lord met it at the ^ate of the city. 
He approached the bier and said to the dead man. 
Young man, I say to thee arise. Instantly the man who 
had been dead, sat up and began to speak. Jesus de- 
livered him to his mother, and all the people cried out, 
•5 great prophet is risen up among us^ and God has 
visited his people. These expressions meant that the 
Messiah had come. 

Q. To what did this miracle give occasion ? 

A. This miracle gave occasion to the Saviour to prove 

his divinity to the disciples of John the Baptist, and to 

deliver the eulogy of his precursor. This great saint 

was at that time in prison, where he was put to death 

i by the 2:uilty Herod. 

Q. Whither did the Saviour then go ? 

A. The Saviour then went to Capharnaum, and af- 
l terwards retired to a desert in the vicinity of that city, 

Q. What miracle did he perform there? 

A. The Saviour there fed miraculously five thousand 
people, with five small loaves and two fishes. This 
miracle, great as it was, was but the announcement of 
one still more admirable. 
12* 



188 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What miracle was that? 

A. It is the multiplication of the body and blood 
of the Saviour in the Holy Eucharist. On his return 
to Capharnaum, our Lord announced to the people the 
institution of the august sacrament of the altar, say- 
ing : / am the living bread which came down from hea- 
ven. My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink 
indeed — and the bread which I will give is my flesh fl)r 
the life of the world. 

Q. What promise did the Saviour make to St. Peter? 

A. After his discourse on the Eucharist, the Saviour 
traversed the different parts of Galilee, and promised St. 
Peter to make him the head of his church, saying: 
Thou art Peter (that is to say, a rock), and on this rock 
I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not 
prevail against it, 

Q. What did he afterwards announce to him? 

A. The Saviour afterwards announced to St. Peter 
and his other disciples, his passion and his death, and 
guarded them against being scandalized at his humili- 
ation. 

Q. What did he do for that purpose ? 

A. For that purpose he took with him Peter, James 
and John the sons of Zebedee, who were to be wit- 
nesses of his agony. He ascended a high mountain with 
them, and was transfigured before them. His counte- 
nance was shining as the sun, and his garments whiter 
than the snow. Moses and Elias appeared and con- 
versed with him — they were surrounded by a bright 
light. The apostles, struck with fear, fell prostrate on 
the earth, and at the same time a voice from heaven 
was heard, saying: This is my beloved son in whom I 
am well j)leased, hear ye him. Afterwards the Saviour 
descended from the mountain. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 139 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Public life of our Lord — Second year. 

'Q. What miracle did the Saviour perform on de- 
scending the mountain ? 

A. On descending the mountain, the Saviour cured 
a boy who was possessed by a devil. 

Q. What instruction did the Saviour give his apos- 
tles on this occasion ? 

A. On this occasion the Saviour instructed his apos- 
tles on the necessity and power of fasting and prayer. 

Q. What other instruction did he give them ? 

A. The Saviour, continuing his journey through 
Galilee, explained to his apostles and to all his dis- 
ciples the necessity of pardoning injuries, and the sin- 
fulness of his conduct who would refuse to pardon 
those who had injured him. 

Q. What means did he employ for this purpose ? 

A. For this purpose he made use of a parable. A 
servant, said he, owed his master ten thousand talents. 
He had not wherewith to pay him. The master 
ordered him to be seized, and commanded him to be 
sold, and his wife and his children, and all that he 
had, and payment to be made. The servant implored 
him for pity, and to have patience with him. The 
master, touched with compassion, remitted him the 
whole debt. The servant going out, met a fellow ser- 
vant who owed him the trifling sum of a hundred 
pence, and laying hold on him, he throttled him, say- 
ing, pay what thou owest. The unfortunate servant 
said, have patience, and 1 will pay thee all ; but he 
would not, and immediately sent him to prison. When 
the master had learned this cruel conduct, he sent for 
the wicked servant, and said to him, I had pity on you, 
and forgave you your whole debt ; oughtest thou not 
also to have had pity on thy fellow servant? and, 
being angry, he delivered him to the torturers, until he 



140 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

should pay the whole debt ; and the Saviour said : So 
also shall my heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive 
not every one his brother, from your hearts, you whom 
he has pardoned, and stiii daily pardons, so many sins. 

Q. By what was this instruction followed ? 

A. This instruction was followed by an event which 
gave the Saviour an occasion to teach us the spirit of 
meekness, w^hich must animate his disciples. The 
inhabitants of a city in Samaria, having refused to 
receive him, two of his apostles asked permission to 
call down fire fiom heaven to consume the guilty city. 
The Saviour replied. You know not of what spirit you 
are ; the Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to 
save. He submitted to the- affront without complaint, 
and went into another town. 

Q. What further occurred in this journey } 

A. In this journey, the Saviour proclaimed anew 
the great precept of the love of God and of our neigh- 
bor, and arriving in the little town of Bathania, he 
lodged in the house of Lazarus and his two sisters, 
Martha and Mary. 

Q. Where did he go thence ? 

A. He repaired to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of 
the Tabernacles, where his enemies were forced to say, 
with the rest of the people : JYever man spake like this 
man. 

Q. Were they converted ? 

A. They were not converted. To touch their hearts, 
the Saviour worked one of his most brilliant miracles. 
He restored sight to a man who had been blind from 
his birth; a miracle which no prophet had ever 
wrought, and which had been unheard of from the 
beginning of the world. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 141 



CHAPTER IX. 

Public life of our Lord — Third year. 

Q. What was the end of all the words, miracles, 
and actions of the Saviour ? 

A. The end of all the words, miracles and actions 
of the Saviour, was to save man. He had come on 
earth to take away sin, and weaken its consequences. 
By his words ignorance was dispelled ; by his miracles 
he confirmed his doctrine ; and all his actions tended 
I to console man in his misery. 

Q. ^hat other end did he also propose to himself? 

A. The Saviour also proposed to himself to banish 

1 that excessive fear which man had of God. He wished 

that the law of grace and of love should take the 

place of the law of fear. He wished to prevent man 

from despairing after he had sinned, 

Q. What did he do for that purpose ? 

A. For that purpose, he ever showed himself kind, 

jf affable, and compassionate towards all ; and in order to 

give an idea of his goodness and mercy, he recounted 

many parables, and particularly that of the prodigal 

I son, and of the lost sheep. 

Q. Relate the parable of the lost sheep. 

A. A shepherd, said the Saviour, had a hundred 
sheep ; he loves them all, and watches them carefully. 
Notwithstanding all his care, one of them is lost. 
Does he not, as soon as he is aware of it, leave the 
ninety and nine and go in search of that which is lost? 
He seeks for it in every direction, and gives himself no 
t rest until he has found it. When he has found it, he 
does not beat it, but kindly puts it upon his shoulders, 
in order to save it the fatigue of returning, and carries 
it back to the fold. Having arrived at his house, he 
assembles his friends and his neighbors, and says to 
them, rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep 



142 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

which was lost. This, concludes the Saviour, is the 
picture of your heavenly Father. 1 say to you, thai 
even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that 
doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine justt who 
need not penance, 

Q. What did the Saviour do after this touching 
parable ? 

A. After this touching parahle the Saviour per- 
formed an act which displays all the goodness of his 
divine heart. 

Q. What was that act? 

A. A great number of fathers and mothers came to 
present their httle children to him, and implore his 
blessings on them. The Saviour received these little 
ones into his arms, loaded them with caresses, placed 
his hand upon them, and blessed them. 

Q. What more did he do ? 

A. In order to protect their innocence and their life, 
he declared that it were better to have a mill-stone 
tied to the neck and to be thrown into the sea, than to 
scandalize a little child ; and that he would consider 
as done to himself, whatever should be done to the 
least of such little ones, who are his brethren. 

Q What did he afterwards announce to his apostles } 

A. The Saviour afterwards announced to his apostles 
that his death and his passion were near, but that he 
would laise himself to life again on the third day. He 
employed the little time which yet remained, in giving 
them instructions, and in working miracles more 
extraordinary than ever. 

Q. What miracles were they ^ 

A. The principal were the conversion of Zacheus 
and the resurrection of Lazarus, after he had been 
dead four days. This latter miracle was wrought at 
the very gates of Jerusalem, and in the presence of a 
great number of Jews. 

Q. What were the consequences.? 

A. The consequences were that a great number of 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 143 

Jews were converted, and believed in our Lord ; but 
the chief priests and Pharisees, being jealous, resolved 
to put him to death. 



CHAPTER X. 
Public Life of our Lord — Third year. 

Q. Was the determination of the chief men of Jeru- 
salem to put the Saviour to death a reason sufficient to 
prevent the people from recognizing him as the Son of 
God? 

A. The determination of the chief men of Jerusa- 
lem to put the Saviour to death, was not a sufficient 
reason why the people should not recognize him as the 
Soa of God. The miracles of Jesus spoke louder 
than the hatred of the synagogue. 

Q. Had the Saviour omitted any thing requisite to 
«how that he was truly the Messiah ? 

A. The Saviour had omitted nothing requisite to 
show that he was truly the Messiah. He had come 
'into the world at the precise time at which the Messiah 
was expected. He was born at Bethlehem, and of the 
race of David ; he had been adored by the kings, as 
foretold by the prophets. For more than thirty-two 
years, his whole life was devoted to show in his per- 
son the true Christ, by his doctrine, by his sanctity, by 
his miracles, and by the literal accomplishment of the 
prophecies which referred to him. 

Q. What yet remained for him to do .' 

A. It remained for him to consummate the proof of 
his divine mission. 

Q. How? 

A. By dying; for the finishing trait of the Messiah 
was his death on the cross,, ordered by the Jews; suf- 
fered at the hand of strangers; followed after three 
days by his glorious resurrection, and crowned by his 
ascension into heaven. 



144 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Was the Saviour dismayed at the schemes of 
the synagogue ? 

A. The Saviour was not dismayed at the schemes 
of the synagogue ; he was pleased even to show them 
that if one day he should deliver himself into their 
hands, it was because he himself willed it. 

Q. How did he do this ? 

A. He went up to Jerusalem publicly, seated on the 
colt of an ass, follow- ed by its mother ; for the prophet 
Zachary had foretold that the Messiah should enter 
Jerusalem in this manner. All the people came out to 
meet him, carrying olive branches in their hands and 
crying : Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he 
that cometh in the name of the Lord, 

Q. What did the Saviour do in the midst of his tri- 
umph } 

A. In the midst of his triumph the Saviour wept 
over Jerusalem, and predicted the calamities w^hich 
were soon to befall her. He went to the temple,where 
a voice was heard saying that God should be glorified 
by Jesus. 

Q. What happened whilst he was in the temple ? 

A. Whilst he was in the temple a poor widow put 
a farthing into the treasury, and the Saviour said of 
her, that she had put in more than the rich, in order 
to show us how meritorious is purity of intention. 

Q. Whither did the Saviour go on leaving the tem- 
ple ? 

A. On leaving the temple the Saviour retired to 
Mount Olivet, where he announced to his apostles the 
destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, also the end 
of the world and the circumstances attendant on the 
last judgment. 

Q. What did he do after ? 

A. He afterwards returned to Bethanie, and staid 
with Simon the leper, where a w^oman poured precious 
ointment on his head. This act so irritated the ava- 
ricious Judas that he formed the design of selling his 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 145 

master. He went out to find the chief priests and said 
to them : fVhat will you give me, and I will deliver him 
unto you? They promised him thirty pieces of sil- 
ver — this was the price of a slave. Judas returned to 
the company of the Saviour, to ^ seek an occasion to 
deliver him up. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Public life of our Lord — Third year, 

Q. What did the Saviour do during his last hours, 
before being betrayed ^ 

A- During his last hours the Saviour celebrated the 
Passover with his disciples. About three o'clock in 
the afternoon he sent two of his disciples to Jerusalem 
to prepare whatever was necessary for the Passover. 
He said to them : Behold, as you go into the city there 
sliall meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water ; fol- 
low him into the house which he entereth into. And you 
shall say to the master of the hou e : The Master saith 
to thee — Where is the guest clmmber where I may eat 
the pasch with my disciples ? and he will show you a 
large dining-room furnished, and there prepare, 

Q. What do these words show us ? 

A. These words show us that our Lord knew the 
future, and was master of the heart. 

Q. What did the apostles do .' 

A. The apostles did as the Saviour directed them, 
and found ail things as he had said The Saviour 
arrived when the hour had come, and sat at table with 
his twelve apostles, to eat the paschal lamb. Then it 
was that he said to them : Jlmen, I say to you, that one 
of you is about to betray me. . . . The Son of Man in- 
deed goeth, as it is written of him ; but wo to that man 
by whom the Son of Man shall be betrayed. It were 
13 



146 CATECHISIWL OF PERSEVERANCE. 

better far that man if he had not been born. The apos- 
tles thought that the Saviour was gojiig to take pos- 
session oi an earthly kingdom, and they began to dis- 
pute among themselves who of them should hold the 
jirst places. 

Q. What did the Saviour do ? 

A. The Saviour, had pity on their weakness, and said 
to them that the kingdom whither he was going, ana 
whither they also should go, was not like the kingdoms 
of this earth, and that humility and purity of heart 
alone could conduct them thither. Then, rising from 
the table, he w^ashed their feet, and said to them : You 
call me Master and Lord: and you say well, for so lam. 
If I, then, being Lord and Master, have washed yovr 
feet, you also ought to ivash one another^ s feet. For I 
have given an example that as 1 have done to you so you 
do also. 

Q What followed the washing of feet ? 

A. The washing of feet was followed by the insti- 
tution of the Holy Eucharist, which was to take the 
place of all the sacriiices of the old law. 

Q. How was the Holy Euchaiist instituted ? 

A. He took bread, broke it and gave it to his apos- 
tles, saying : Take and eat. This is my body which is 
given for you. He then took a cup ol wine, bietsed it and 
presented Jt to his apostles, saying : Drink ye all of 
this. This is the chalice (f the JVew Testament in my 
blood which shall be >hed for you. He then gave them 
also the power to consecrate his body and blood, by 
saying to them : Do this in commemoration of me, 

Q. What did the Savioui say to Juuas? 

A. After the communion, the Saviour, looking at 
Judas, was troubled in spirit, and wishing to give him 
a last warning, said to him : That which thou doest, do 
quickly. Judas remained insensible to the warning and 
went out. 

Q What did the Saviour do after Judas had gone out.' 

A. Alter Judas had gone out, the Saviour gave 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. l47 

expression to his tender affection, in the words he ad- 
dressed to his apostles. He then returned thanks after 
supper, and repaired with his disciples to the mountain 
of Olives. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Passion of our Lord. 

Q. Recount the passion of our Lord ? 

A. The Saviour, accompanied by his disciples, had 
retired to the garden of Gethsemani. Now Judas 
knew that that was the place whither Jesus was ac- 
customed to retire for prayer. The Saviour said to his 
apostles, Remain here, whilst I go yonder and pray; 
pray ye also, lest ye enter into temptation. Then leav- 
ing the others, he took with him Peter, James and 
John, and said to them : My soul is sorrowful even 
unto death ; wait ye here, and watch with me ; and 
having gone a little further, about the distance of a 
stone's throw from them, he knelt down and made this 
prayer : My Father, if thou wilt, take away this chal- 
ice from me ; yet not my will, but thine be done. 

After this prayer he rose and came to his disciples, 
and found them all three asleep. He said to Peter : 
Simon, sleepest thou? wast thou not able to watch 
one hour with me ^ Watch and pray, lest ye' enter 
into temptation ; for the spirit indeed is willing, but 
the flesh is weak. He retired a second time, and 
made the same prayer. He then returned to his disci- 
ples, and again he found them sleeping; he retired 
again, and again made the same prayer. He then was 
in an agony, and the sweat as drops of blood came 
trickling to the ground, and an angel descended from 
heaven to strengthen him. He arose from prayer, and 
coming to his disciples said to them : Sleep ye now, 
and take rest. Behold, he that will betray me is at 



148 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

hand ; rise up, let us go to meet him. And while he 
was yet speaking, came Judas, and with him a great 
multitude, with swoids and staves and lights, from 
the chief priests and the scribes and the ancients. 
Now all this was to accomplish the words of the 
prophet, saying of the Messiah, he shall be reputed 
amongst the wicked and robbers. Judas had given 
them this sign, saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, he it 
is — lay hold on him and lead him away cautiously. 
Having arrived, he advanced toward Jesus and said to 
him : Rabbi, hail ! and he kissed him. Jesus said to 
him, my friend, wherefore hast thou come .' Judas, is 
it by a kiss thou betrayest the Son of Man ? Jesus 
then advanced towards the multitude and said to them: 
Whom seek ye ? They replied : Jesus of Nazareth. 
Jesus said to them : I am he. Immediately they were 
cast to the earth. Jesus, who had cast them down, 
suffered them to rise, and they seized him. 

Then Simon, who had a sword, drew it, and striking 
a servant of the high priest, cut off his right ear ; but 
Jesus said to him : Put up again thy sword ; and he 
cured him who had been wounded. Then all the dis- 
ciples, leaving him, fled away. But they, holding 
Jesus, led him first to Annas, the father-in-law of 
Caiphas the high priest, and thence to the house of 
Caiphas, where the priests and the scribes and the an- 
cients were assembled. But Peter followed Jesus afar 
off, and entered the palace of the high priest 

Caiphas interrogated Jesus concerning his disciples 
and his doctrine. Jesus answered him : I have always 
spoken openly to the world, ask those who have heard 
me ; then a servant gave Jesus a blow, saying, An- 
swerest thou the highpriest so ? They then suborned 
two false witnesses; but their testimony did not agree. 
When the high priest said to Jesus, I adjure thee by 
the living God, tell us if thou be the Christ, Jesus 
answered, I am Then the high priest rent his gar- 
ments and said: He has blasphemed; what further 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 149 

need have we of witnesses ? what think ye ? All re- 
plied, He is worthy of death. And going away, they 
abandoned Jesus to the band of soldiers and the ser- 
vants, who made hin) undergo every species of outrage. 
In the meantime, a servant maid of the high priest 
perceived Peter, who was warming himself; she looked 
at him and said : Yuu also were with Jesus of Naza- 
reth. Peter denied it three times in presence of the 
whole multitude. Jesus then looked on him, and the 
i cock crowed the second time. Peter remembered 
' what Jesus had said to him : Before the cock crows 
twice you will deny me three times ; he went forth 
, and wept bitterly. 

, In the morning, the priests, the scribes, and the an- 
r dents assembled again, and again demanded of Jesus : 
I Art thou the Christ ? He replied, Yes, I am. 'J'hey 
I then condemned him to die, and led him to Pontius 
f Pilate, to obtain permission to execute their sentence. 
I Then Judas, seeing that Jesus was condemned, repent- 
ed of what he had done ; he went to the temple and 
carried back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief 
priests and ancients, and said to them : I have sinned 
in betraying the blood of the Just. They said to him: 
What is that to us ? look thou to it. He went forth 
and hanged himself. With the money they bought 
the field of a potter, for the burial of strangers All 
this happened to accomplish the words of the prophet, 
; who had foretold of the Messiah, that he should be sold 
^1 for thirty pieces of silver with which a potter's field 
would be bought. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Passion of our Lord — Continued. 

Q. Continue the history of the passion. 
A. The Jews having arrived with Jesus before the 
house of Pilate, would not enter the judgment hall 
13* 



150 CATECHISBI OF PERSEVERANCE. 

lest they should be defiled and not be able to eat of the 
Pasch. Pilate, therefore, came out to them and said : 
Of what do you accuse this man ? They replied : if 
he had not been a malefactor we would not have de- 
livered him up to you. Pilate said to them : Take him 
yourselves, and judge him according to your law. 
They answered, It is not permitted us to put any one 
to death. 

Pilate then interrogated Jesus, and said to him : Are 
you the king of the Jews ? Jesus replied that he was 
a king, but that his kingdom was not of this earth. 
Pilate said to the Jews, I find no cause for condemna- 
tion in this man. They then began to cry aloud : He 
stirreth up the people. Pilate said to the Saviour: Do 
you not hear of how many crimes they accuse you ? 
But he answered not. Pilate, learning that Jesus was 
of Galilee, sent him away to Herod. Herod desired 
much to see the Saviour, hoping that he would perform 
some miracle in his presence. His vain curiosity was 
disappointed. He, with all his court, despised the 
Saviour, and having dressed him as a fool, in a white 
robe, he sent him back to Pilate. 

Pilate said to the Jews : You have brought me this 
man as one stirring up the people ; I have interrogated 
him in your presence and find nothing worthy of con- 
demnation. Neither has Herod. 1 will, therefore, 
scourge him and let him go. Fearing, however, that 
he would not succeed in saving Jesus, he had recourse 
to another means it was the custom, that at the 
Paschal time, the governor should grant to the people 
the release of one prisoner. There was at that time 
confined in the prisons a notorious criminal, named 
Barabbas. He was a seditious robber and a murderer. 
Pilate said to the people. Which of the tw^o shall 1 re- 
lease unto you, Barabbas or Jesus, who is called the 
Christ ? The priests persuaded the people to choose 
Barabbas and to have Christ put to death. This was 
he reason that when Pilate asked them w^hich of the 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 151 

two shall T release unto you, they all cried aloud, Give 
us Barabbas and away with Jesus. Pilate then said 
to them, What will you that I do to Jesus, the king of 
the Jews ? They replied — Crucify him ! He said to 
them again : But what evil has he done ? I do not find 
any cause of death in him. I will scourge him and 
set him at liberty. 

But they cried aloud still more, Crucify him ! Then 
Pilate, taking water, washed his hands in presence of 
the people, saying, 1 am innocent of the blood of this 
just man. Look ye to it. They all cried out. His 
blood be upon us and upon our children. Then Pilate 
caused the Saviour to be scourged ; and the soldiers, 
having stripped off his garments, placed a purple man- 
tle on his shoulders, a crown of thorns on his head, 
and a reed in his hand ; and approaching him, they 
bent their knee in derision, and said: Hail! King of 
the Jews ! at the same time they forced the thorns into 
his head, spat in his face and loaded him with buffets. 

In this condition Pilate caused the Saviour to be 
brought forth, and showing him to the people, said to 
them-: Behold the man ! Immediately the chief priests 
cried out, Crucify him ! Crucify him ! If you release 
him, you are no friend of Caesar's. At this name, 
Pilate, being intimidated, abandoned Jesus to them, to 
do with him as they wished. 

Scarcely was he condemned, when the soldiers 
seized him, tore off the purple robe, put on his gar- 
ments again and led him out of the city to crucify him. 
Jesus went forth carrying his cross, and ascended to- 
wards Calvary. He soon fell under the weight, when 
they compelled a stranger, named Simon, the Cyrenean, 
to carry the cross after Jesus. The Saviour was fol- 
lowed by a great multitude of people, and the women, 
who were weeping. He turned to the women and 
said : Daughters of Jerusalem ! weep not for me ; but 
for yourselves and your children ! Being arrived at 
Calvary, they crucified him between two thieves. The 



152 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Saviour, being raised up on the cross, asked for the 
pardon of his murderers. My Father, said he, fcrgiv© 
them ; for they know not what they do. 

The soldiers divided his garments amongst them, 
casting lots for his robe, whose it should be. The 
Jews blasphemed, saying, If he be the King of Israel, 
let him descend from the cross and we will believe in 
him. If the Saviour had descended from his cross, he 
would not have been the Messiah ; for the prophets 
had foretold that the Messiah should die on the cross. 
The Saviour converted the good thief. Perceiving his 
Blessed Mother and his well-beloved disciple, he said 
to the Blessed Virgin : Woman, behold thy son, and 
to John, Behold thy mother. Mary adopted John as 
her son, and in his person, all Christians as her chil- 
dren. Then darkness covered the whole earth, and 
the sun was obscured. The Saviour cried out with a 
loud voice : My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken 
me ? He afterwards said : I thirst. Then they gave 
him vinegar to drink, fastening a sponge to the end of 
a reed, and presenting it to him. Now, this happened 
in order that the prophecy of David might be accom- 
phshed, saying : In my thirst they have given me vinegar 
to drink. Jesus, having tasted of the vinegar, and 
being satisfied that there was nothing wanting to his 
sacrifice, nor to the accomph'shment of all the prophe- 
cies, nor to his love for man, cried out with a loud 
voice: Father, into thy hands 1 commend my spirit, 
and saying this, he bowed his head and gave up the 
ghost. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The Sepulture and Resmrection of our Lord, 

Q. What miracles were wrought at the death of the 
Saviour ? 
A. At the moment the Saviour expired, the darkness 



i f. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 153 

I which had covered the whole earth since the sixth hour, 
I was dispelled. The veil of the temple was rent from 
' lop to bottom ; the earth shook ; rocks were torn 
> asunder ; the tombs opened, and the dead rose to life, 
I Q. What effect did these miracles produce ? 
i A. The centurion who guarded the Saviour's tomb 
' was converted, and cried aloud : This man was truly 
j the Son of God. The soldiers who had crucified him, 
I also cried out : This man ivas truly the Son of God, 
I Finally, a great number of other persons, having wit- 
'■ nessed so many prodigies, returned, striking their 
' breasts. 

I Q- What did the chiefs of the synagogue do ? 
' A. The chiefs of the synagogue went to Pilate, to 
have the legs broken of the three who had been cru- 
i cified. Pilate sent soldiers to do what the Jews had 
[ asked. / 

' Q. What did the soldiers do ? 

A. The soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves ; 

but seeing that Jesus was already dead, they broke not 

: his legs. One of the soldiers opened his side with a 

\ lance, and immediately there issued forth blood and 

water. 

Q. What do you remark on the above ? 
A. I remark that each of those circumstances w^as 
the result of a special providence. For although the 
Saviour was already dead, still the soldiers could have 
broken his legs. But it was necessary that the Scrip- 
tures should be fulfilled. God had said, in speaking 
of the paschal lamb, a bone of him you shall not break. 
The figure was to be realized in the Saviour, the true 
paschal lamb. Again, it was contrary to orders, or at 
least without the order of their officers, that one of the 
soldiers pierced the side of Jesus with a lance. But it 
y was necessary that this other prophecy should also be 
I accomplished : They looked on him whom they had 
pierced, 

Q. Who w^ere they that buried the Saviour ? 



154 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

A. Joseph, of Arimathea, and Nicodemus buried the 
Saviour. They wrapped him up in fine linen and per- 
fumes, and placed him in a new sepulchre, hewn out 
of a rock, and where, as yet, no body had been laid ; 
then having closed the entrance with a large stone, 
they departed. 

Q. What precautions did the chiefs of the syna- 
gogue take ? 

A. They obtained of Pilate, guards w^hom they 
placed over the sepulchre; they sealed with the public 
seal the stone which closed the entrance; but all this 
tended the more to prove their weakness, and the truth 
of the resurrection of our Lord. 

Q. When did he rise again ? 

A. He arose again on the morning of the third day. 
Soon after, Mary Magdalene and other holy women, 
carrying with them perfumes and spices, arrived at the 
sepulchre. They entered, but did not find there the 
Saviour. 

Q. To whom did the Saviour first show himself ? 

A. He first showed himself to Mary Magdalene and 
then to the other holy women, and he told them to 
announce his resurrection to Peter, and to his disciples. 

Q. What did the guards do ? 

A. The guards went into the city and told the chiefs 
of the syna2:ogne all that had happened. Immediately 
the chief priests and ancients assembled, and jrave the 
guards a Iar2:e sum of money, telling them : You will 
say that his disciples came and stole him, under the 
cover of night, whilst you were asleep. 

Q. What do you say of this ? 

A. All this was a gross deceit, for the purpose of 
deceiving the people; for the chiefs of the synagogue 
did not themselves believe it ; neither did they perse- 
cute and put to death the apostles for stealing the body 
of their Master and falsely preaching his resurrection, 
but only for preaching contrary to their orders. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 155 



CHAPTER XV. 
The glorious life of our Lord, 

Q. How did the Lord prove to the Jews his resur- 

recuon ? 

A. The Lord proved to the Jews his resurrection 
by taking his body out of their hands. The Jews 
were masters both of the sepulchre and of the body of 
our Lord. They were bound, therefore, eiiher to 
bring forward his body on the third day or admit that 
he had risen again. 

Q Why did not the Saviour show himself to the 
Jews alter his resurrection ? 

A. The Saviour did not show himself to th'e Jews 
after his resurrection, 1st, because it was a grace he 
did not owe them ; 2d, because they would, says St. 
Chrysostom, have abused this grace as they had 
abused others. 

Q. What should make us believe this ? 

A. Their conduct should make us believe it. They 
had not been converted by the raising of Lazarus to 
life; nor were they by the miracles wrought by the 
apostles to prove the resurrection of their Master 5 on 
tbe contrary, they became more hardened. It was not 
proofs, but good will on their part, that was wanting. 

Q. How did the Saviour prove his resurrection to 
his disciples ? , 

A. The Saviour proved his resurrection to his dis- 
ciples by showing himself to them, speaking to them, 
eating with them, and permitting them to touch him. 

Q. Did he show himself to them many times after 
his resurrection ? 

A. The Saviour often showed himself to them after 
his resurrection; first to St Peter, then to St. James; 
again to the two disciples going to Emmaus, and to the 
assembled apostles; and, finally, to more than five 
hundred of his disciples at one time. 



156 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Did the apostles easily believe the resurrection of 
the Saviour ? 

A. The apostles did not easily believe the resurrec- 
tion of the Saviour. St. Thomas went so far as to 
say that he would not believe it until he had put his 
fingers in the place of the nails, and his hand in the 
side of the Saviour. Eight days after the resurrec- 
tion, the disciples being all assembled, the Saviour 
appeared, and said to Thomas : Put in thy finger 
hither, and see my hands, and bring hither thy hand 
and put it into my side : and be not incredulous, but 
faithful. Thomas answered, and said lo him : My 
Lord and my God. 

Q. What was the occupation of the Saviour during 
the forty days he remained on earth after his resur- 
rection ? 

A. The occupation of the Saviour during the forty 
days he remained on earth after his resurrection, was 
thoroughly to convince his apostles that he was really 
risen, and to instruct them perfectly in his doctrine. 
He wished to teach us in what manner we ought to 
live, after having had the happiness of a spiritual 
resurrection to the state of grace. 

Q. Why did the Saviour take so much care to prove 
his resurrection ? 

A. The Saviour took so much care to prove his 
resurrection, because this miracle is the foundation of 
all religion. 

Q. What is a miracle.^ 

A. A miracle is a fact contrary to the laws of na- 
ture, and which God alone can perform ; for example: 
by a single word, or by a single touch, to give sight to 
the blind or life to the dead. 

Q. Can God work miracles .' 

A. That would be the same as to ask if God can 
suspend the laws which he himself has established. 
To reply, says an impious writer, to him who should 
assert that God cannot work miracles, would be hon- 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 157 

oring him too far; he ought lo be shut up, as a fool, 
in a house for the insane. 

Q. Has God wrought any miracles in favor of the 
Christian religion ? 

A. Yes, God has wrought miracles in favor of the 
Christian religion ; and of which we are better as- 
sured than we are of any of the most celebrated facts 
of antiquity, of which no one doubts; such, for in- 
stance, as the existence of Alexander, and of C2esar. 
Millions of martyrs have died to attest the truth of the 
miracles of our Lord and of his apostles. 

Q. Do miracles prove the truth of religion ? 

A. Yes, miracles prove the truth of religion. God 
alone can work miracles; and God, being truth itself, 
cannot work miracles to authorize falsehood ; there- 
fore, the Christian religion, in favor of which God 
has wrought so many miracles, is the true, and the 
only true religion ; and in order to be saved, we must 
believe injt and practice it. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
Our Lord restorer of the world, 

Q. Why was the Messiah to come on earth ? 

A. According to the prophets, the Messiah was to 
come on earth to take away the sins of the world. 

Q. What does that mean ? 

A. It means, 1st, to expiate sin ; 2d, to repair its 
consequences ; 3d, to furnish us the means to avoid 
sin and attain eternal happiness. 

Q. Has our Lord expiated sin with respect to God? 

A. Yes, our Lord has expiated sin with respect to 
God; by sin, man had revolted against God, and 
our Lord humbled himself before God, even unto 
death. By sin, man had offended infinite justice ; our 
Lord has suffered all that a man can suffer, and in 
14 



158 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

a manner infinitely meritorious, since he is God and 
man. 

Q. Has our Lord repaired the consequences of sin ? 
A. Yes, our Lord has repaired the consequences of 
sm. 

Q» What are the consequences of sin ? 
A. The Jirst consequence of sin with respect to 
man, is ignorance. Before sinning, man knew God, 
knew himself, and knew creatures, as far as he 
should know them ; by sin, he lost in a great measure 
this precious knowledge. Hence sprang idolatry, and 
all the errors which have appeared on the earth. In 
the person of our Lord man has recovered all his 
knowledge. 
Q. Ho w so ? 

A. Our Lord, in his capacity as man, had all thd 
knowledge of the first Adam, and even more. 
Q. What is the second consequence of sin .'' 
A. The second consequence of sin is concupiscence, 
or propensity to evil; the love of ourselves and the 
love of creatures. Before he had sinned, man loved 
all that he ought to love, and nothing which he ought 
not to love. Sin has rendered all his affections 
inordinate. 

Q. Has our Lord repaired this second consequenca 
of sin ? 

A. Our Lord has repaired this second consequence 
of sin; that is, he was, as man, perfectly free from all 
concupiscence. 

Q. What is the third consequence of sin? 
A. The third consequence of sin, are death, sick- 
ness, and all temporal evils. In the person of our 
Lord, man has been freed from them ; that is, our 
Lord, alter having borne our infirmities and suffered 
death in order to expiate sin, has become, as far as he 
is man, immortal, impassible, glorious and triumphant 
in heaven for all eternity. 

Q. Has our Lord taken away sin, with respect to 
God and man, conjointly considered? 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 159 

A. Yes, our Lord has taken away sin, with respect 
to God and man, conjointly considered ; for God and 
man having been separated by sin, are re-united in the 
person of our Lord in the most intimate manner. 

Q. Has our Lord taken away sin with respect to 
creatures ? 

A. Our Lord has taken away sin with respect to 
creatures. By sinning, man turned away creatures 
from their end to make them subservient to iniquity. 
In the person of our Lord all creatures have been re- 
directed to their end; for our Lord has made them 
subservient to the glory of God. 

Q. How can we profit by the means afforded us by 
the Saviour to participate in the benefits of redemption? 

A. The condition on which w^e may profit by the 
means of salvation afforded by the Saviour, and par- 
ticipate in the* benefits of redemption, is to unite 
ourselves to him. 

Q. How do you explain this ? 

A. As it is our union with the first Adam that 
renders us guilty and unhappy, so it is our union wn'th 
our Lord, the second Adam, that will render us just 
and happy 

Q. Can we enjoy perfectly this justice and happi- 
ness in this world ? 

A. We can not enjoy perfectly this justice and hap- 
piness in this world, because it is only in heaven that 
the redemption of our Lord will bring forth all its 
fruits. 

Q. What must we conclude from all this.'' 

A. We must conclude from all this: 1st, that our 
Lord has done all that the Messiah was to do, which 
was to take away the sins of the world ; 2d, that we 
ought to use all our eflforts to unite ourselves to the 
new Adam in order to become just and happy, as we 
were sinful and unhappy by our union with the first 
Adam. 



160 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Has our Lord obtained for us the means of 
avoiding sin and attaining eternal happiness? 

A. Yes, he has ; as is proved by the example of the 
saints of all times, of all conditions, and of ail 
countries. 



CHAPTER XVII. 
Our Lord, the new Mam. 

Q. What is the end of our union with our Lord, the 
new Adam ? 

A. The end of our union with our Lord, the new 
Adam, is deliverance from sin, our happiness, and the 
glory of God in time and eternity. 

Q. How is this union effected ? 

A. This union is effected by faith, by charily, and 
above all, by the holy communion ; to re-unite our- 
selves to our Lord is the end of all religion. 

Q. Why are these three kinds of union necessary? 

A. These three kinds of union are necessary, be- 
cause our Lord has said : Whoever will not believe, 
shall he condemned. He who loves not> dwelleth in 
death. Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and 
drink his blood , you shall not have life in you. 

Q. How are we united to the second Adam ? 

A. We are united to the second Adam by faith. 

Q. What is failh ? 

A. Faith is a supernatural gift whereby we believe 
firmly all that God has revealed to his church, because 
he is truth itself. He who believes, submits his 
reason, unites himself to our Lord, and frees himself 
from ignorance. 

Q. Is our faith in Jesus Christ reasonable ? 

A. Yes, our faith in Jesus Christ is reasonable, 
since it is based on a sure foundation. This founda- 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 161 

tion is the word of God, attested by indubitable 
miracles, which have been sealed with the blood of 
many millions of martyrs, and admitted by the entire 
world from the beginning of ages. 

Q. What are the principal characters of faith? 

A. The principal characters of faith, are : 1st. 
Universality; that is, our faith must extend to all 
truths revealed by God and taught by the church. 2d. 
Simplicity; we must believe without reasoning, with- 
out questioning; when God has spoken, our reason 
must be silent and must submit. 

Q. What are the advantages of faith ? 

A. The advantages of faith, are: 1st, to unite us 
with the new Adam and make us participate in his 
redemption ; 2d, to dispel the darkness and ignorance 
into which the first Adam had plunged us; 3d, to heal 
our reason of its pride. 

Q. W^hat are the objects of faith or the things we 
^ are to believe ? 

A. The objects of faith are the truths revealed by 
God and defined by the church. Amongst these truths 
there are some above pur reason and which we cannot 
comprehend; they are called mysteries. 

Q. Why is it reasonable to believe mysteries } 

A. It is reasonable to believe mysteries: 1st, because 
our reason itself compels us to admit a great number of 
truths which we cannot comprehend, but of the ex- 
istence of which we are perfectly sure ; 2d, if there 
were no mysteries in religion, it would not be of God ; 
it would be false. 

Q. What are the principal advantages of the mys- 
teries of religion ? 

A. The principal advantages of the mysteries of 
religion, are: 1st. They put a restraint on the curi- 
osity of our mind, and shields from attack those 
truths which are the basis of religion and society. 3d. 
They are the foundation of all the virtues ; there is 
not a single one that does not suggest motives of grati- 
14* 



162 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

tude to God, love for our neighbor, and sanctity for 
ourselves. 
, Q. What are the sins opposed to faith ? 

A. The sins opposed to faith, that is, which prevent 
or sever our union w^ith the new Adam, are : infidelit}'', 
apostacy, heresy, voluntary doubting, and ignorance. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Union of our intellect with our Lcrrd, the new Adam, 

by faith. — First and second articles of the Symbol, 

Q. Where shall we find the truths which are the 
objecl of our faith ? 

A. They are contained in an abridged form in the 
symbol of the apostles. Before separating to preach 
the gospel, the apostles made an abridgment of the 
doctrine of their Master, in order that Christians 
might have but one and the same faith, and might first 
learn the most important truths of religion. This 
abridgment is called the symbol of the apostles. 

Q. What does the symbol teach us ? 

A. The symbol teaahes us in an abridged form all 
that we are to believe of God, of man, and of the 
world. 

Q. What are we to believe of God ? 

A. We are to believe that there is one God, and but 
one only ; that there is one God in three distinct per- 
sons, who are equally God, but who are only one 
God, because they have the same nature. 

Q. What further are we to believe ? 

A. We are further to believe that the Father begot 
his Son equal to himself from all eternity ; that the 
Son became man, for our redemption; that in the Son 
of God, made man and called Jesus Christ, there are 
two natures, the divine and the human nature ; and 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 163 

consequently two wills, the human and the divine ; 
but that there is only one person, namely, the divine; 
finally, we are to believe that the Holy Ghost, equal in 
all things to the Father and to the Son, proceeds from 
them both.^ 

Q. What are we to believe of man ? 

A. We are to believe of man, that he has been 
created by God; that he has a soul, spiritual, free, and 
immortal ; that he has sinned, and has been redeemed ; 
that he will one day be raised from the dead, in order 
to be judged, and to receive according to his works 
either eternal happiness or eternal misery. 

Q. What are we to believe of the world ? 

A. We are to believe of the world that it has been 
created ; that it is preserved and governed by a uni- 
versal providence ; and that it shall have an end. 

Q,. Into how many parts is the symbol divided ? 

A. The symbol is divided into three parts; the Jirst 
refers to the Father, and treats of the creation ; the 
second refers to the Son, and treats of the redemption ; 
the third refers to the Holy Ghost, and treats of sanc- 
tification. These three parts are divided into twelve 
articles. 

Q. Which is the first ? 

A. The first article of the symbol is, I believe in 
God, the Father ^^Imighty, Creator of heaven and 
earth. 

Q. What do the words, I believe in God, mean ? 

A. They mean that we hold as true, certain and 
beyond the possibility of doubt, the existence of one 
only God; his goodness, his wisdom, his truth, and 
all his perfections, because he has revealed them to 
US ; moreover, that we fully, and in all things, confide 
in him. 

Q. Why is God called Father? 

A. He is called Father : 1st, because from all eter- 
nity he begot his Son, and because he is the prin- 
ciple of all that exists ; 2d, because he has created us ; 



164 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

3d, because he has adopted us, in our Lord, as^his 
children. 

Q Why do we call him Almighty? 

A. We call him Almighty, because nothing is im- 
possible to God. This first truth produces^ us confi- 
dence, humility and gratitude. 

Q Why is he called Creator ff heaven and earth? 

A. He is called Creator of heaven and earth because 
God is the first principle of all things; but although 
we say the Father created heaven and earth, we must 
understand that the work of the creation was common 
to the three persons of the Holy and indivisible 
Trinity. 

Q. Which is the second article of the symbol ? 

A. The second article is : And in Jesus Christ, his 
only Son, our Lord. 

Q. What does the name Jesus signify .? 

A. The name Jesi/s signifies Saviour; for it is the 
Son of God, made man, that has saved us from sin 
and from eternal death. 

Q. What does the word Chist signify ? 

A. The word Christ signifies anointed. Our Lord 
is called the anointed ; because among the Hebrews, 
they consecrated priests, kings and prophets, by 
anointing them with holy oil ; and our Lord is king, 
priest and prophet. The anointing, by which our 
Lord was consecrated, is not a simple participation in 
divine grace, but the plenitude of the divinity which 
dwells in him. 

Q. What do the words, only Son, our Lord, signify? 

A. The words, only Son, our Lord, signify: 1st, 
that our Lord is the only Son of God, by nature, 
whilst we are the sons of God by adoption ; 2d, that 
our Lord Jesus Christ is our Lord or Master, because 
he has created us and redeemed us. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 165 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Union of our intellect with our Lord, the new Mam, by 
faith. — Third, fourth and fifth articles of the Symbol. 

Q. What is the third article of the symbol? 

A. Who was conceived of the Holy Ghost, horn of 
the Virgin Mary. This article teaches us that Jesus 
Christ, the only Son of God from all eternity, became 
in time the son of Mary. 

Q. What is the mystery of the Son of God made 
man, caJled ? 

A. The mystery of the Son of God made man, is 
called the incarnation. The body of our Lord was 
formed of the most pure blood of the Virgin by the 
power of the Holy Ghost, whilst Mary preserved a 
perpetual and unalterable virginity. 

Q. Which is the fourth article of the symbol .> 

A. Suffered under Pontius Pilate , was crucified, 
dead and buried. It was for very wise reasons that 
the apostles named the Roman governor who con- 
demned the Saviour to death. 

Q. What are they? 

A. The first 'was to afford a proof of their sin- 
cerity. Had they been guilty of imposition, they 
would thereby have given to the whole world the 
means of detecting their imposture. To do this, it 
would only be necessary to show that Pontius Pilate, 
governor of Judea, did not put to death any man 
named Jesus of Nazareth. 

The second was to give the whole world a cer- 
tain assurance of the death of the Saviour by pointing: 
out the means by which to prove it; for Pontius 
Pilate sent to the emperor Tiberius an account of the 
life and death of our Lord, and it was preserved in the 
archives of the empire. 

Q. How do you know this? 

A. We know, 1st, from Tacitus, a pagan historian. 



166 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

that our Lord was put to death in the reign of Tiberius, 
whilst Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, who, by 
the Jaws of the empire, was obliged to send to the 
emperor an account of the transactions of the province. 
2d. We know it from St. Justin, martyr, who lived one 
hundred years after the event; and from TertuUiaa, 
Eusebius, and other authors, who referred the Romans 
to their archives for the truth of what they advanced 
on the subject of the life, death and resurrection of the 
Saviour. 

Q. For whom did our Lord die? 

A. Our Lord died for all men, without exception; 
he has merited for all, without exception, the graces 
necessary to work out their salvation ; but in order to 
profit by these graces, we must be united to the new 
Adam. 

Q. Which is the fifth article of the symbol? 

A. He descended into hell, the third day he arose 
again from the dead. Our Lord having died for all 
men, wished that all should feel the effects of his re- 
demption; therefore, he descended into hell. Although 
the soul of the Saviour was during this time really 
separated from his body, his divinity was never 
separated from his body, nor from his soul. 

Q. What do you mean by the word hell ? 

A. The word hell has several significations; 1st, 
it designates that dark and gloomy prison where the 
souls of the reprobate are for ever tormented with the 
devils, night and day, by a fire which is never ex- 
tinguished ; 2d, it designates purgatory; 3d, the place 
where the souls of the saints were before the coming 
of our Lord. 

Q. What is this place called ? 

A. It is commonly called limbo; and by the Scrip- 
tures it is called the bosom of Abraham It was the 
souls resting in this place that our Lord went to visit, 
to make known to them the gospel, and conduct them 
to heaven. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 167 

Q. What do you remark on the resurrection of our 
Lord? 

A. 1 remark that it differs from the resurrection of 
others, in this: Jst, that our Lord raised himself to 
life by his own intrinsic power; 2d, that being once 
raised to life, he was never more subject to death as 
others who had been raised from the dead ; 3d, that 
he is the cause and the principle of the resurrection of 
all men. 



CHAPTER XX. 

(y our union with our Lord, the new Mam, hy faith. 
Purgatory, 

Q. What is purgatory ? 

A.. Purgatory is a place or state of being in w^hich 
the souls of the just who have departed this life with- 
out fully satisfying the divine justice for their sins, are 
finally purified before being admitted into heaven. 

Q. What are we to believe respecting purgatory ? 

A. We are to believe: 1st, that there is such a 
place; 2d, that souls suffer there; 3d, that the holy 
sacrifice of mass, the prayers and good works of the 
living, will help them. 

Q. What proofs have you of the existence of 
pargatory ? 

A. We have many proofs of the existence of pur- 
gatory. The first is drawn from the Ancient Testa- 
ment. It is written that Judas IVlachabeus sent to 
Jerusalem a sum of money to have prayers said for the 
souls of those who had fallen in battle, that they 
might be delivered from their sins. For, adds the 
Scripture, it is a good and wholesome thought to pray 
f(yr the dead. 

Q. What is the second proof of purgatory.? 
^ A. The second proof of purgatory is taken from 



1^3 CATECHISM OP PERSEVERANCE. 

the New Testament. Our Lord says in the gospel. 
He that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not 
be forgiven him, neither in this world ncrr in the world to 
come. There are, therefore, sins forgiven in the next 
world, in a place which is neither heaven nor hell ; 
and which we call purgatory. 

Q. What is the third ? 

A. The third proof of purgatory is the tradition of 
the Catholic Church. From the time of the apostles 
the church has not ceased to pray and to offer up the 
holy sacrifice for her deceased children. Tertullian, 
iSt. Justin, St. Augustine, and all the other fathers of 
the church, testify to this usage, and assure us that it 
was derived from the apostles, and, consequently, from 
our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Q. What is the fourth ? - 

A. The fourth proof of purgatory is the tradition of 
the ancient sects separated from the church. These 
sects, spread throughout the East, still preserve the 
custom of praying for the dead. They have not bor- 
rowed it from the church since their separation ; they 
received it, therefore, from the apostles, and conse- 
quently from our Lord. 

Q. What is the fifth ? 
'A. The fifth proof of purgatory is the tradition of 
the pagans themselves. We see in their history that 
they offered sacrifices for the dead, and that they 
prayed for them ; this usage is found even among the 
savages. 

Q. What motives have we to pray for the dead ? 

A. We have four principal motives to pray for the 
dead. 1st. The glory of God, for whom we procure 
perfect adorers, by aiding the souls in purgatory to 
enter heaven. 2d. Charity; the souls in purgatory 
have a claim on our charity, because they are our 
brothers in Jesus Christ, and our relations and friends, 
according to the flesh. 3d. Justice ; because some of 
them may be suffering on our account. 4th. Our own 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 169 

interest ; because these souls, when delivered by our 
prayers, will intercede for us before God and aid us to 
get out of purgatory. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Of cmr union with our Lord, the new Adam, hy faith. 
Sixth and seventh articles of the Symbol, 

Q. Which is the sixth article of the symbol ? 

A. He ascended into heaven; sits at the right hand 
of God, the Father Almighty. This article teaches us 
that our Lord, as man, ascended, body and soul, into 
heaven; as God, he had never ceased to be there, 
since his divinity is every where and fills all places. 

Q. What do the words sits at the right hand of God 
the Father Almighty, mean ? 

A. They mean that our Lord is in heaven, as in the 
place of his rest, and that he enjoys the same glory as 
the Father and the Holy Ghost. 

Q. Why do you use the words at the right hand of 
God, the Father Almighty ? 

A. As it is the custom among men to place at the 
right those whom they wn'sh to honor, we say that 
Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God, the Father 
Almighty, in order to show the infinite glory he has 
acquired for himself, and which has elevated him, as 
man, above all creatures. 

Q. Why has our Lord ascended into heaven ? 

A. Our Lord has ascended into heaven to open the 
gates for us, and to take possession of it for himself 
and for us. 

Q. What follows from that ? 

A. It follows that our nature is re-established in its 
rights ; since, in the person of the Saviour, it is in 
possession of heaven from all eternity. 
15 



170 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. For what other reason has our Lord ascended 
into heaven ? 

A. Our Lord has ascended into heaven also to 
secure there our places, by pleading our cause; to 
excite in us a desire to follow him ihither; for it is 
natural that dutiful children should desire to be united 
to their father; finally, our Lord has ascended into 
heaven, because his body, rendered immortal and 
glorious by his resurrection, demands a more fitting 
place for its dwelling than this earth of misery and 
exile. 

Q. Which is the seventh article of the symbol ? 

A Thence A^ shall come to judge the living and the 
dead. All men must be judged; that is, must render 
to God an account of the life and graces he has given 
them. If it were otherwise, God would not be just, 
since in that case he would treat the good and the bad 
alike. 

Q. How many judgments are there ? 

A. There are two. The first which takes place at 
the moment of death, called the particular judgment. 
The second, which will take place at the end of the 
world ; this is called the last or general judgment, 
because it will confirm the lirst and take place in the 
presence of all the assembled^nations of the earth. 

Q. Why should there be a general judgment ? 

A. A general judgment is necessary to repair the 
injury done to the glory of God; to justify the just, 
to cover with public confusion the wicked, and to 
avenge the providence of God. 

Q. What do the words the living and the dead, 
signify .' 

A. By the words the living and the dead, is under- 
stood : tirst, all men ; and secondly, the living signifies 
those who have departed this life in the grace of God ; 
whilst the dead signifies those who have died in 
mortal sin. 



^ 



a 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 171 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Cf our union with our Lord, the new Mam, by faith. 
Eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh articles of the 
Symbol. 

Q. Which is the eighth article of the symbol? 

A. I believe in the Holy Ghost. Thus far we have 
seen what we are to believe in order to unite ourselves 
by faith to the two first persons of the Holy Trinity. 
The eighth article contains what we are to believe to 
unite us to the third person. 

Q. What does the eighth article of the symbol 
teach us ? 

A. The eighth article of the symbol teaches us what 
we are to believe of the Holy Ghost, and what he 
does for our sanctification. The Holy Ghost is the 
third person of the Holy Trinity ; he proceeds from the 
Father and the Son, and is the same Lord and God as 
they are ; that is, he has the same nature, the same 
eternity, the same power. 

Q. Why is he called the Holy Ghost? 

A. He is called the Holy Ghost because he is 
holiness itself, and the source of ali holiness. 

Q. What work is attributed to the Holy Ghost? 

A. To the Holy Ghost is attributed the work of 
sanctification, because he is essentially the love of the 
Father and the Son ; and all the graces and gifts we 
leceive from God are an efiecl of his love. 

Q. What do you understand by the gifts of the 
Holy Ghost .? 

A. By the gifts of the Holy Ghost, we understand 
certain supernatural endowments which he commu- 
nicates to our souls, to aid us in securing our salvation. 

Q. How many are there ^ 

A There are seven, which are thus designated 
by the prophet Isaias : Wisdoniy which, makes us 



172 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

relish God and the things of God ; understanding, 
which makes us believe and comprehend the truths of 
religion as far as a limited intellect can understand 
them ; counsel, which makes us in ail cases choose 
that which will most contribute to our salvation ; 
fortitude, which makes us overcome the obstacles 
opposed to our sanctilication ; knowledge, which 
makes us discern between good and evil, and gives us 
an exalted idea of God and of our souls ; piety, which 
makes us fulfil cheerfully/- and from a sense of 
religion, all our duties; fear of the Lord, which im- 
prints on our soul a great and salutary respect for God.* 

Q. What is the eleventh article of the symbol? 

A. The resurrection of the body. This article 
teaches us that we shall all rise again. 

Q. Can God raise us to life -again ? 

A. Yes, he can raise us to life again ; because he 
can do all things. It will not be more difficult for 
him to restore us our life than it was to give it in the 
first instance. 

Q. Is it the will of God that we should rise again ? 

A. It certainly is his will, since he has promised it, 
and since man is to be judged and rewarded or pun- 
ished according to his works. But man is neither the 
soul separated from the body, nor the body separated 
from the soul, but is the union of both body and soul 
together; therefore, the justice of God requires that 
man should rise again. 

Q Fn what state shall we rise again ? 

A. VVe shall rise again with the same bodies we 
have on earth; some for glory, others for ignominy; 
but all, both good and bad, shall rise to die no more. 

Q. What are the qualities of the body, glorious.? 

A. The bodeis of the saints after the resurrection 
will have four principal qualities: Impassibility, by 
which they will be incapable of feeUng any inconve- 

* Ninth and tenth articles of the Symbol ; see article on the church. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 173 

nience or suffering; brightness^ which will render 
them more brilliant than the sun, and which will be 
greater or less, in proportion to the merit of the saint; 
agility, which will free the body from the weight 
which bears it down, and will permit the soul to carry 
the body whithersoever it chooses with facility and 
speed ; lastly, subtilty, which will render the body 
entirely subject to the soul. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Cff our union with our Lord, the new Adam, hy faith. 
Twelfth article of the Symbol — Sign of the Cross. 

Q. Which is the twelfth article of the symbol ? 

A. Life everlasting. These words signify that after 
the general resurrection, men shall die no more; that 
the wicked shall be punished with eternal punishment, 
whilst the good shall enjoy everlasting happiness. 

Q. How do you call the miserable eternity ? 

A. The miserable eternity is called hell. Hell is 
the place where God punishes, and where he will 
punish, for all eternity, those who die in the state of 
mortal sin. 

Q. What does faith teach us with respect to this 
truth? 

A. With respect to this truth faith teaches us : 1st, 
that there is a hell ; 2d, that hell is eternal; 3d, that 
the wicked will there be punished with the devils. 

Q. What are the principal torments of the reprobate ? 

A. The principal torments of the reprobate are the 
pain of loss, and the pain of sense. The pain of loss, 
is regret at having lost God. It is the greatest pain 
that a reasonable creature can experience. 

Q. Did the Saviour ever speak of this pain ? 

A. The Saviour spoke of this pain when he said in 
the Gospel : The worm dieth not ; this worm is con- 
15* 



174 ^ CATECHISBI OF PERSEVERANCE. 

science, and the conscience of the reprobate is their 
remembrance, consisting of these four reflections, ever 
present to their mind: I have lost God ; I have lost him 
through my own fault ; I have lost him for a mere 
trifle ; I have lost him for ever. 

Q. What is the second pain of the reprobate ? 

A. The second pain of the reprobate is the pain of 
sense; it is a suffering produced by a fire which will 
burn the body without consuming it^ and will never 
be extinguished. ^ 

Q. Did the Saviour speak of this fire ? 
"~A. The Saviour spoke of it plainly, when he said: 
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire. These 
two pains, of loss and of sense, are perfectly just; be- 
cause they correspond to the two faults contained in sin, 
viz : the contempt of God and the inordinate love of 
creatures. The existence of an eternal hell had been 
believed amongst all nations; but the passions of the 
human heart had obscured the belief. Therefore it is 
that our Lord has proclaimed and confirmed it anew. 

Q. What is the happy eternity ? 

A. The happy eternity is heaven, which is also 
called eternal life. 

Q. Why so ? 

A. To teach us not only the eternity of the saints, 
but also the greatness and eternity of their happiness. 

Q. Why did the apostles place this article at the end 
of the symbol ? 

A. The apostles placed this article, life everlastings 
at the end of the symbol, because the happiness of 
heaven is to be the recompense of all our good works 
in this life, and should be the object of all our desires. 

Q. Is it sufficient to believe interiorly, in order to be 
saved ? 

A. No ; it is not sufficient to believe interiorly in 
order to be saved. We must make an exterior profes- 
sion of faith. 

Q. By what sign do we manifest our faith ? 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 175 

A. We manifest our faith by the sign of the cross. 
In making it, we profess the three principal mysteries 
of Christianity, viz: the mystery of the Trinity, the 
Incarnation, and the Redemption. 

Q. Is the sign of the cross very ancient in the 
church ? 

A. The sign of the cross is as ancient as the church 
itself. The custom of making it dates back to the 
apostles and our Lord. The first Christians used it on 
every occasion. 

Q. Is it very powerful .' 

A. The sign of the cross is all-powerful in putting 
the devil to flight, banishing temptations, and deliver- 
ing us from the dangers of soul and body. As the 
devil makes use of creatures to tempt man, the first 
Christians never failed to make the sign of the cross 
when about to use them for any purpose. They were 
particularly faithful in making the sign of the cross 
before and after n^eals. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Of our union with our Lord, the nevj Mam, hy charity, 

Hope and Charity. 

Q. Is it sufficient to unite ourselves to our Lord by 
faith, in order to be saved ? 

A. No, it is not sufficient to unite ourselves to 
our Lord by faiih, in order to be saved ; for by faith 
alone our union with the new Adam is not complete. 

Q. What is the second means by which we are to 
unite ourselves to our Lord ? 

A. The second means by which we are to unite 
ourselves to our Lord, is charity ; that is, we must 
unite our will to the will of our Lord, by obeying all 



176 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

his commandments; but in order to unite faith with 
charity, we must make use of hope. 
What is hope ? 

A. Hope is a gift of God ; a supernatural virtue 
by which we expect, with confidence, all that God has 
promised us. 

Q. What is the foundation of our hope ? 
A. The foundation of our hope, is : 1st, the power, 
fidelity, and goodness of God ; 2d, the infinite merits 
of our Lord. 

Q. What are the objects of hope ? 
A. The objects of our hope, are : first, God himself, 
since he has promised to give us himself for all 
eternity; secondly, all those spiritual and temporal 
means necessary to gain heaven ; in a word, the grace 
of God in this world and his glory in the next, is the 
object of Christian hope. 
Q. What are the sins opposed to hope ? 
A. The sins opposed to hope are presumption and 
despair. We sin by presumption, when we flatter 
ourselves that we can reach heaven without using the 
necessary means ; for instance, without observing faith- 
fully all the commandments of God and the church. 
Q. How do we sin by despair ? 
A. We sin by despair when we think our faults too 
great for pardon ; our passions too strong to be over- 
come ; and lastly, when we suffer ourselves to indulge 
in too great anxiety for the necessaries of life. 
Q. What is charity f 

A. Charity is a gift of God ; a supernatural virtue 
by which we love God above all things, because he is 
infinitely amiable ; and our neighbor as ourselves, for 
the love of God. It is by charity that our heart is 
united to that of the new Adam, and is freed from 
concupiscence. 

Q. What are the three virtues, faith, hope and 
charity, called ? 

A. They are called the three theological virtues ; 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 177 

because they have God for their object. They are 
opposed to the three great passions of our heart ; faith 
is opposed to pride ; hope to avarice ; and charity to 
cupidity. 

Q. What is the principal object of charity ? 

A. The first and principal object of charity, is God; 
the second, is the love of our neighbor. In presenting 
to our heart this two-fold nourishment, our Lord ele- 
vates and disengages it from those gross affections 
with Vi^hich it v^as filled after the fall of the first 
Adam. 

Q. How must we love God ? 

A. We must love God above all things ; since he is 
infinitely amiable, it is just that we love him above 
all things, and refer all our affections to him. 

Q. What are the motives for which we must love 
God? 

A. The motives for loving God are : 1st, his infinite 
perfections; 2d, his benefits; 3d, his promises; 4th, 
his commands. 

Q. What should be the qualities of our love for 
God? 

A We should love God as he loves us ; with a 
generous, constant, and holy or supernatural love. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, by charity. 
Charity — The Decalogue. 

Q. What is the second object of charity ? 

A. The second object of charity, is our neighbor ; 
that is, all men, without exception ; Christians, Jews, 
idolaters, and even our enemies. 

Q. Why must we love our neighbor ? 

A. We must love our neighbor because God wills 



178 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

it; 1st, because all men are, like ourselves, created to 
his image ; 2d, because all men are our brothers in the 
iirst and second Adam ; 3d, because aJl men have been 
redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and are all 
destined lor the same happiness; 4th, because the end 
of religion is to destroy self-love, which had seized 
upon the heart of man since the commission of origi- 
nal sin, and substitute universal charity, which should 
make mankind one family of brothers. 

Q. How should we love our neighbor? 

A. We should love him as God loves him; with a 
universal, generous, constant, and holy or supernatural 
love. 

Q. What is meant by the words to love our neigh- 
bor for God's sake f 

A. It means that we must love our neighbor with 
a view to his eternal salvation, and also to please and 
obey God. 

Q. What do you observe on this subject ? 

A. I observe that it is impossible to give our charity 
a more solid foundation. Since God is iniinitel)'- 
amiable, our love for our neighbor should never be 
false to itself, whatever the injuries we may receive. 

Q. What is the end proposed by the decalogue ? ] 

A. The end proposed by the decalogue, is to aid us 
in keeping the great commandment of the love of God 
and of our neighbor; for our Lord has said that in 
this commandment all the rest are contained. 

Q. Should we truly love the decalogue? 

A. Yes, we should truly love the decalogue, because 
it is one of the greatest works of love that God could 
give us, and because it is only by observing it faith- 
fully, that we can find peace for our souls. 

Q. How so ? 

A Because we are made to love God; and our 
heart will never find peace nor truce until it refers all 
its affections to God. Moreover, the decalogue does 
not infringe upon our liberty, but only restrains it 
within its proper limits. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 179 

Q. How do you explain this ? 

A. Suppose a traveler going towards a magnificent 
city, where his family and a brilliant fortune await 
him. Between him and the city there is a fathomless 
abyss, and impervious darkness covers his way. This 
traveler has neither guide nor light; over this abyss 
there is only a small plank, narrow and very unsteady, 
and there is no other way by which he can reach the 
city. Novv, if some charitable guide should take the 
traveler by the hand, if he should place a strong pro- 
tection on both sides of the plank, and arrange many 
lights along, so that the traveler could not possibly 
fall, without willfully extinguishing the lights or 
breaking down the protection, no one surely would 
consider this charitable guide as a tyrant, nor the pro- 
tection at the sides of the plank as restricting the 
liberty of the traveler. Every body, on the contrary, 
would bless this kind-hearted guide; and would con- 
sider the barriers he placed on the plank, as the 
greatest service he could have rendered the traveler. 
Such should be our sentiments towards God and 
towards his law. 

Q. Why so .? 

A. Because we are this traveler; the charita 'e 
guide IS God ; the barriers are the decalogue, which 
prevents us from wandering either to the right or to 
the left on our road to heaven. Therefore should e 
frequently thank_God for having given us the deca- 
logue. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, by charity. 

First Commandment, 
' Q. Why is it necessary to observe the decalogue ? 

A. It is necessary because it is the great law given 
by God to men, and is the principle and sanction of all 
other laws. 



180 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Is the decalogue very old ? 

A. The decalogue is as old as the world. God, in 
giving it to Moses, only wrote a law which was 
already existing : and our Lord came on earth to recall 
man to the observance of the decalogue, and set him 
the example. 

Q. Which is the first commandment ? 

A. '^ lam the Lord thy God who brovght thee out oj 
the land of Egypt, and out of the heme of bondage. 
Thou shalt not have strange gods before me. Thou 
shalt not make to thyself any graven thing, nor the like- 
ness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or in the 
earth, or in the waters under the earth; thou shalt not 
adore them ncrr serve themP 

Q. To what are we obliged by the first command- 
ment ? 

A. To adore God, and love him with all our heart. 
To adore God, is to acknowledge him to be the crea- 
tor, preserver, and sovereign master of all things, and 
a being infinitely perfect. 

Q. How do we adore God ? 

A. We adore God by faith, whereby we acknow- 
ledge him to be truth itself ; by hope, whereby we 
acknowledge him to be goodness itself; by charity, 
whereby we acknowledge him to be the infinite good ; 
by the virtue of religion, whereby we manifest our 
faith, our hope, our charity, and our absolute de- 
pendence on him. 

Q. When are we obliged to make acts of faith, hope 
and charity? 

A. We are obliged to make acts of faith, hope and 
charity : 1st, when we have attained the age of 
reason ; 2d, when we are pressed by temptation ; 3d, 
from time to time during life ; 4th, at the hour of death. 

Q. What is the virtue of religion? 

A. The virtue of religion is a habit by which we 
render to God the worship which is due to him. Man, 
being composed of body and soul, owes to God the 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 181 

homage of his whole being; hence the necessity of 
exterior as well as interior worship. 

Q. What are the sins opposed to the virtue of religion? 

A. They are irreligion, superstition, and unlawful 
worship. We sin by irreligion, when we are wanting 
in respect for persons, places, or things consecrated to 
God. We sin by superstition, when we render to 
things the worship due only to, God; this is called 
idolatry; or when we have recourse to the devil; this 
latter is superstition, properly so termed. 

Q. What are the principal ways by which recourse 
is had to the devil ? 

A. The principal ways by which recourse is had to 
the devil, are magic, divination, sorcery, and heathenish 
observations of omens, dreams, and such like fooleries. 

Q. What is unlawful worship ? 

A Unlawful worship consists in worshiping God 
in a manner different from what he prescribes. Un- 
lawful worship and superstition are artifices of the 
devil, by which he would ^disfigure religion, detach 
men from God, draw them to himself, and finally 
destroy them. 

Q. Is it lawful to honor or pay reverence to the 
angels and saints, to the crucifix and to images? 

A. Yes, it is lawful to pay reverence to angels, for 
they are the ministers of God and are our friends; to 
the saints, for they are our protectors, and their bodies 
were the living temples of the Holy Ghost; to the 
cross and to images, for they recall to mind our Lord 
and his saints; and the reverence we pay them is 
referred to the objects they represent. ? 

Q. Is the honor we pay to angels and saints the 
same as we pay to God ? 

A. No; the honor we pay to angels and saints is 
not the same as we pay to God ; we adore God, but 
we do not adore the angels and saints ; we pray to 
God to hear our prayer, and to the angels and saints to 
intercede for us. 
16 



182 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, by charity* 
First Commandment continued — Second Command- 
ment. 

Q. What are the principal works by which we 
tebtiiy our charity for our neighbor ? 

A. The principal works by which we testify our 
charity towards our neighbor, are such as refer to his 
soul and to his body. The first are called spiritual 
works of charity; the second, corporal works of 
charity. 

Q. How many are the spiritual works of charity ? 

A. There are seven; 1st, to instruct the ignorant; 
2d, to admonish the sinner; 3d, to counsel the doubt- 
ful ; 4lh, to comfort the sorrowful ; 5th, to bear 
wrongs patiently ; 6th, to forgive all injuries; 7th, to 
pray for the living and the dead, and for those who 
persecute us. 

Q In what consists the pardon of injuries? 

A. The pardon of injuries consists: 1st, in not 
keeping in our heart any feeling of hatred, any desire 
of revenge, any spite against him who has offended 
us ; but loving him as our brother, for the love of 
God ; 2d, in extending to him exteriorly the usual 
marks of friendship and charity, and rendering him 
assistance if he needs it. To perform this duty 
properly, we must bear in mind that God forgives us, 
a^ we forgive others. 

Q. What is fraternal correction.^ 

A. Fraternal correction is an act of charity by 
which we admonish those who do wrong. 

Q. How should we give or receive fraternal cor- 
rection ? 

A. We should admonish our neighbor as we would 
wish to be admonished ; that is, with prudence and 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 183 

charity ; we should receive admonitions with humility 
and gratitude ; for they are the best proof of friendship 
that can be given us. 

Q. What are the corporal works of charity ? 

A. There are seven corporal works of charity; 1st, 
to feed the hungry; 2d, to give drink to the thirsty; 
3d, to clothe the naked ; 4th, to visit and ransom 
captives; 5th, to harbor the harborless; 6th, to visit 
the sick ; 7th, to bury the dead. 

Q. Are we obliged to give alms ? 

A. Yes, we are obliged to give alms. God com- 
mands it ; and our alms should be proportioned to our 
means and the wants of the poor. 

Q. How must we give alms ? 

A. To be useful and meritorious, alms must be 
given from a supernatural motive; must be given 
cheerfully, and without ostentation. 

Q. What are the advantages of the first command- 
ment ? 

A. The following are some of the advantages of the 
first commandment: 1st, it has delivered the world 
from idolatry ; 2d, it infuses into our hearts sentiments 
worthy of us; 3d, it inspires those beautiful sacrifices 
by which we solace human misery. 

Q. What is the second commandment ? 

A. Thxm shalt not take the name of the Lord^ thy 
God in vain, 

Q. How do we take the name of God in vain ? 

A. We take the name of God in vain when we use 
it without respect, when we dishonor it by perjury or 
blasphemy ; on the contrary, we honor the name of 
God when we bless it in our prayers and thanksgiv- 
ings ; when we take an oath with truth, judgment and 
justice. 

Q. What is it to take an oath ? 

A. To take an oath, is to call upon God to witnoM 
what we assert. 

Q. What is blasphemy ? 

A. Blasphemy is any word injurious to God, to the 



184 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

saints, or to religion. Blasphemy and perjury are two 
very great sins, of which we should have the greatest 
horror. Whenever we hear any one blaspheme, we 
should interiorly bless the name ol God and pray lor the 
blasphemer. 

Q. What are imprecations .? 

A. Imprecations are words by which we wish evil 
to ourselves or to others. 

Q. What are the advantages of the second com- 
mandment? 

A. These are some of the advantages: 1st, it 
obliges us to respect God, and thereby preserve our 
love for him ; for we soon cease to love what we 
may despise with impunity; 2d, it guarantees con- 
tracts and good faith among men, which are the basis 
of society. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, by charity. 
Second Commandment continued — Third Com- 
mandment 

■. Q. What is a vow ? 

A. A vow is a promise made to God, by which we 
bind ourselves, under pain of sin, to do a certain good 
work. Wfe are obliged to keep our vows, and fulfil 
them at the time and in the manner promised. It is 
prudent not to make vows without the advice of our 
confessor. 

Q. What is the third commandment } 

A. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day. 

Q. To what does the third commandment oblige us? 

A. The third commandment obliges us to render to 
God an external worship, as the first obliges us to 
render him an interior worship. Our body and our 
soul, being both the work of God, they must both 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 185 

render honor to their Creator, each in the manner 
suited to it. 

Q. Why has God chosen one day in seven for us to 
render him our homage? 

A. 1st, to establish order and unity in our worship; 
2d, to remind us of the obligation to worship him ; 3d, 
to preserve exterior worship. Among Christians this 
day is Sunday. 

Q. Why Sunday .? 

A. For very wise reasons : 1st, to show that all the 
Jewish ceremonies are abolished ; 2d, to honor the 
greatest mysteries of religion ; for the Sunday cor- 
responds to the first day of the world, to the day of 
the resurrection of our Lord, and to the day of the 
descent of the Holy Ghost on the apostles. 

Q. What does the third commandment forbid ? 

A. It forbids whatever prevents us from sanctifying 
this day, consecrated to the Lord ; that is, all those 
works which are called servile, which require labor 
of body rather than of mind, such as cultivating the 
earth, exercising a trade, &c. 

Q. Why are they called servile ? 

A. They are called servile because servants are 
generally employed to perform them. We cannot law* 
fully perform such works on Sunday, although we 
should not intend to gain money thereby. 

Q. What are we commanded by the third command- 
ment ? 

^ A. We are commanded the performance of good 
works in general, in order to sanctify the Sunday; but 
the church prescribes one in particular, under the pain 
of mortal sin, that is, to assist at mass. 

Q. What are the conditions necessary in order to 
hear mass well ? 

A. They are : to hear the whole mass ; and to hear 
it with respect, attention and devotion. 

Q. In what does respect consist .' 

A. It consists in a becoming posture ; in being 
16* 



186 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

decently dressed ; in not looking about ; in abstaining 
from conversation, and whatever may scandalize the 
faithful. 

Q. In vs^hat does attention consist ? 

A. It consists in occupying ourselves with what is 
passing at the altar. To secure attention, we should 
select a place favorable to recollection ; make use of a 
prayer-book, and follow the priest. 

Q. In what does devotion consist ? 

A. It consists in immolating ourselves with our 
Lord ; having a sincere desire to imitate his example, 
and to live according to the gospel. 

Q. What are the advantages of the third command- 
ment ? 

A. The third commandment contains the greatest 
advantages for us; 1st, it prevents us from forgetting 
our last end, and from degrading our hearts by the 
exclusive love of earthly goods; 2d, it affords the poor 
and those who labor, an opportunity to recruit their 
•trength by a cessation from toil, and the powers of 
their soul by prayer, the word of God, and the 
frequentation of the sacraments. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, by charity' 

The Fourth Commandment, 

Q. Which is the fourth commandment? 

A. Honor thy father and thy mother. 

Q. What are the objects of the fourth command- 
ment ? 

A. The fourth commandment has for its objects the 
duties of children to their parents, and of parents to 
their children. It regulates the duties also of other 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 187 

superiors and inferiors. This commandment is the 
first having reference to our neighbor. 

Q. What are we commanded by the fourth com- 
mandment ? 

A. We are commanded to honor our father, mother, 
and other superiors. This honor supposes respect, 
love, obedience and service. 

Q. In what consists the respect which children owe 
their parents ? 

A. It consists in deferring humbly to their advice ; 
in ;speaking to them with deference and submission, 
and evincing towards them, both in public and private, 
all those marks of affection which are due them. 

Q. In what consists the love which children owe 
their parents ? 

A. The love which children owe their parents con- 
sists in desiring and doing for them all the spiritual 
and temporal good which God requires; this love 
ehould be supernatural and constant. 

Q. What ought to be the obedience of children to 
their parents ? 

A. The obedience of children to their parents should 
be simple, prompt, universal. Children must obey 
their parents in all that is not contrary to the laws of 
God and the church. 

Q. What assistance do children owe their parents? 

A. Children owe their parents both corporal and 
spiritual assistance. Corporal, they are bound to 
succor their parents in poverty, sickness and old age ; 
spiritual, they are bound to pray for them ; to obtain 
for them the benefits of the sacraments when sick ; and 
when they are dead, to pray for them, and have 
prayers offered up for the repose of their souls. 

Q. What recompense has God promised to those 
who fulfil this commandment ? 

-A. God has promised those who fulfil this command- 
ment a long and happy life. 

Q. What are the duties of parents to their children ? 



188 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

A. Parents are bound to provide their children with 
food and raiment ; to instruct them ; to correct them ; 
to give them good example, and watch over them with 
vigilance. They cannot unjustly oppose their voca- 
tion, because their children owe a higher obligation to 
God than they do to their parents. 

Q. Who are our other superiors ? 

A. Our other superiors are the pope, the bishops, 
and pastors of the church ; our god-fathers and god- 
mothers ; our magistrates, masters, mistresses, and the 
aged. We should respect them, love them, obey them, 
for they are appointed by God to command and guide 
us. 

Q. What are the duties of superiors in general ? 

A. Superiors having received their authority from 
God, are bound to devote themselves entirely to the 
spiritual and temporal welfare of their inferiors. 

Q. To what are masters and mistresses in particular 
obliged ? 

A. Masters and mistresses in particular are obliged 
to instruct their domestics, or have them instructed ; to 
see that they observe the commandments of God and 
of the church; to watch over their conduct; to 
admonish and correct them ; to furnish them suitable 
and sufficient food and clothing, and faithfully pay 
them their wages, when hired. 

Q. What are the advantages of the fourth com- 
mandment ? 

A. The advantages of the fourth commandment are: 
1st, it secures the peace of states and families, by 
causing superiors to be respected ; 2d, it makes author- 
ity wise and paternal ; 3d, it renders obedience pleas- 
ant, filial and constant, by teaching the inferior that it 
is God whom he obeys in obeying his superiors ; 4th, 
it makes us all live for one another. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 189 



CHAPTER XXX. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, by charity. 

Fifth, sixth and ninth Commandments, 

Q. Which is the fifth commandment ? 

A. Thou shall not kill. Alter having provided for 
the happiness of the world in the fourth command- 
ment by obliging all men to live for one another, God, 
in the fifth, forbids whatever can disturb that happiness, 

Q. What are we forbidden by the fifth command- 
ment ? 

A. We are forbidden by the fifth commandment to 
injure our neighbor, either in body or soul. Not only 
is murder forbidden, but whatever may lead to it ; as 
hatred, anger, injurious words, &c. 

Q. What else is forbidden by this commandment ? 

A. It forbids also dueling and suicide ; dueling, 
because it does not belong to individuals to take justice 
into their ovyn hands; suicide, because we are not the 
masters of our life ; it belongs to God. 

Q. What is scandal ? 

A. Scandal is any word or action not strictly cor- 
rect, by which we give occasion to others to offend 
God. Scandal is a still greater sin than the mere kill- 
ing of the body, because it kills the soul. 

Q. How must we confess the sin of scandal ? 

A. We must confess how many persons were 
scandalized, and what was the scandal given. We 
must also repair the scandal. 

Q. What are the advantages of the fifth command- 
ment? 

A. The following are some: 1st, it protects the first 
of natural goods, which is the life of the body ; 2d, 
it protects the most precious of supernatural goods, 
which is the life of the soul. 

Q. Which are the sixth and ninth commandments ? 

A. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not 
covet thy neighbor's wife. 



190 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What are we forbidden by the sixth and ninth 
commandments ? 

A. We are forbidden all thoughts, desires, looks, 
words and actions, contrary to holy purity. When 
we confess, we must be very careful to tell whatever 
we have done contrary to these two commandments. 

Q. What must we do to avoid the sins forbidden by 
the sixth and ninth commandments ? 

A. In order to avoid these sins, we must imme' 
diatelij fly all the occasions of it; such as bad books, 
improper songs, dances, balls, theatres, too frequent 
intercourse with persons of a different sex, idleness, 
curiosity and dress. 

Q. In cases of doubt what must we do ? 

A. In cases of doubt, respecting parties or the read- 
ing of books, we must consult our confessor, who will 
guide us, not according to the maxims of the world, 
but according to the gospel. It is according to the 
gospel that we will be judged. 

Q. What must we do when we find ourselves in 
the occasion of such sins ? 

A. When we find ourselves in the occasion of such 
sins, we must ffy immediately. 

Q. What are the remedies against this sin ? 

A. They are of two sorts, interior and exterior. 

Q. Which are the interior ? 

A. The interior remedies are : 1 st, to reflect on the 
enormity and baseness of this sin, which degrades us 
to the level of the brutes; 2d, to think of the chastise- 
ments with which God has punished this sin ; as the 
deluge, burning of Sodom, &c. ; 3d, humility, vigilance 
and prayer. 

Q. Which are the exterior remedies ? 

A. They are : 1st, to avoid every thing that flatters 
our senses too much ; 2d, mortification ; 3d, devotion 
to the most Blessed Virgin ; 4th, frequentation of the 
sacraments. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 191 

Q. What are we commanded by the sixth and ninth 
commandments ? 

A. We are commanded to keep our souls and bodies 
pure. The virtue of purity is the most amiable of all 
virtues, and renders man like unto the angels. 

Q. What are the advantages of the sixth and ninth 
commandments ? 

A. 1st, they protect the quiet and honor of families; 
2d, they shield our health and innocence from the pas- 
sions of others and from our ovrn passions ; 3d, ihey 
procure for us a delicious peace during life, and great 
confidence at the hour of death. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Mam, hy charity. 
Seventh and tenth Commandments. 

Q. What are the seventh and tenth commandments ? 

A. Thou slwlt not steal. Thou shalt not oovet thy 
neighbor's goods. 

Q. What are we forbidden by the seventh com- 
mandment ? 

A. By the seventh commandment we are forbidden 
to take our neighbor's goods, or to cause him any 
damage. To steal, is to take or retain unjustly the 
goods or property of our neighbor. 
J Q. What are the principal kinds of stealing? 

A. The principal kinds of stealing are theft, robbery 
and fraud. 

Q. What is theft .? 
- A. Theft is an act of stealing by which we take 
what belongs to another without his knowledge. La- 
Iwrers who do not work faithfully, and yet exact their 
full wages; tailors, who retain a part of the things 
given to them to make into clothes ; domestics, who 



192 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

take from their masters, to compensate for the small- 
ness of their wages, &c., are guilty of theft 

Q. What is robbery ? 

A. By robbery is meant the taking of what belongs 
to another, openly and by violence. Masters who do 
not pay their laborers and hired domestics the wages 
agreed upon, are guilty of robbery. 

Q. What is fraud ? 

A. We are guilty of. fraud when we deceive our 
neighbor in buying or selling; in selling, as good, 
articles which are damaged ; in making use of false 
weights and false measures; in making usurious 
bargains, &c. 

Q. When we have in any of these ways taken 
what belongs to our neighbor, is it sufficient to repent, 
in order to be saved ? 

A. No, it is not sufficient to repent in order to be 
saved ; we must also make restitution. 

Q. Who are obliged to restitution i 

A. 1st, the one who steals; 2d, he who commands 
the stealing; 3d, he who counsels it; 4th, he who by 
his flatteries induces the act ; 5th, he who yields his 
consent when, without it, the act would not be com- 
mitted; 6th, the receiver of stolen goods; 7th, they 
who participate in the fruits of the things stolen ; 8th, 
they who, being in justice obliged to prevent the steal- 
ing or damage, do not prevent it. 

Q. To whom must restitution be made ? 

A. The restitution must be made to those to whom 
injury is done, or to their heirs; and it must be done 
as soon as possible. 

Q. What are we forbidden by the tenth command- 
ment ? 

A. All desire to appropriate to ourselves unjustly 
the goods and profits of another ; and in general, all 
inordinate attachment to riches. 

Q. What are the principal advantages of the seventh 
and tenth commandments ? 

A. The principal an vantages are : 1st, to protect our 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 193 

property against the injustice of the wicked ; 2d, to 
extinguish in our heart the inordinate desire of the 
things of this earth, the fruitful source of injustice and 
disorders; 3d, to show us ihe infinite goodness of God 
and the holiness of religion. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, by charity. 
Eighth Commandment, 

Q. What is the eighth commandment, and what 
does it forbid ? 

A. Thou shall not hear false witness against thy 
neighbor. It forbids all false testimony, lies, detrac- 
tion, calumny, rash judgments, and reporting to others 
what we have heard spoken against them, i. e. carrying 
tales. 

Q. What is false testimony ? 

A. False testimony is a deposition contrary to truth, 
in a court of justice, after taking the oath usually ad- 
ministered to witnesses. He who is guilty of it is 
obliged to repair the injury thereby done to his 
neighbor. 

Q. What is a lie ? 

A. He is guilty of a lie who speaks the contrary of 
what he thinks, with the intention of deceiving his 
neighbor. 
4 Q. How many kinds of lies are there ? 

A. There are three kinds of lies ; the playful lie, 
when told for amusement ; the officious, wtien told to 
render a service, and Xha pernicious lie, which injures our 
neighbor. All three kinds are sins ; because all lying 
is opposed not only to God, who is truth itself, but to 
the end for which speech has been given us. We 
have received speech in order to communicate our 
thoughts to one another, and not to deceive. 
17 



194 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

9 

Q. What is detraction ? 

Ki It is an unjust defamation of our neighbor by 
revealing his faults. 

Q. How are we guilty of detraction ? 
A. We are guilty of detraction : 1st, by words, 
when we make known, without a just and necessary 
cause, the secret vices or faults of any one to those who 
are ignorant of them ; 2d, by silence, in not praising 
the good actions of our neighbor when we ought to 
do it ; 3d, by signs, when we show impatience on 
hearing any one praised; or when we smile sig- 
nificantly, or do any other act by w'hich we show our 
dislike. 

Q. What is calumny? 

A. Calumny is a sin by which we impute to our 
neighbor a fault of which he is innocent. 

Q. To what is he obliged who has been guilty of 
detraction or calumny ? 

A. If he has been guilty of detraction, he must do 
all in his power to remove the bad opinion he has 
caused. If guilty of calumny, he must rtcall what he 
has said; moreover, he must repair any oiher damage 
caused by the detraction, or the calumny. 

Q. What must we do when we hear detraction or 
calumny? 

A. We must stop it, or change the conversation ; or 
defend our neighbor; or at least show by our man- 
ner that the detraction or calumny is dis])leasing to us. 

Q. What do you mean by carrying tales, and by 
rash judgments ? 

A. By carrying tales, I mean injurious reports, by 
which we cause discord among others; by ra^h judg- 
ment is meant a judgment injurious to our jjeighbor,, 
which is not founded on a lawful and sufficient reason. 

Q What are the principal advantages of the eighth 
commandment.? 

A The principal advantages of the eighth command- 
ment are, 1st, to protect our reputation ; 2lI, to preserve 
peace and mutual conlidence among men. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 195 

Q. Can you o^ive a summary of the principal advan- 
tag:es of the decalogue ? 

A. 1st. The first three confimandnnents, which estab- 
lish our duties towards God, have delivered the w'orld 
from idolatry, and they preserve it from irreligion, the 
source of all temporal evils. 2d. The fourth estab- 
lishes the duties of superiors and inferiors on the prin- 
ciple of mutual charity; it is the foundation of the family 
and of society. 3d. All the others protect our goods, 
as life, virtue, fortune and reputation, against the pas- 
sions of the wicked. The decalogue then is truly a 
great blessing; nothing could replace it, and pitiable 
would be our lot, had not God given it to us. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Of our union with our Lm^d, the new Mam, by Commvr 

nior, — The Sacraments. 

Q How is our union with the new Adam com- 
pleted or perfected ? 

A. Our union w^ith the new Adam commenced by 
faith, increased by charity, is completed or perfected by 
communion. 

Q To vt^hat do all the sacraments have reference ? 
A. All the sacraments, like all religion, have refer- 
ence to communion. 

Q How do all the sacraments refer to communion ? 

A. They all refer to communion, each in its appro- 

- priate manner ; baptism renders us capable of the 

c union which takes place in communion ; confirmation 

e maintains this union, or renders us more worthy of it; 

L penance disposes us for the establishment of it when it 

has been destroyed by sin; extreme unction aids us to 

consummate it at the hour of death ; holy orders and 

matrimony perpetuate it, in perpetuating the church. 



196 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What aie the sacraments? 

A. The sacraments are sensible signs, instituted by 
our Lord Jesus Christ, for our sanctification. 

Q. Who has instituted the sacraments ? 

A. Our Lord Jesus Christ has instituted all the 
sacraments. No other could institute them ; because 
God alone can attach to sensible things the power of 
conferring grace. 

Q. Why has our Lord instituted the sacraments ? 

A. Our Lord has instituted the sacraments: 1st, to 
communicate his graces to us ; 2d, to aid us by the 
means of sensible things to comprehend spiritual 
things; 3d, in order to show us his infinite power, in 
making use of little things to produce great effects; 4th, 
to teach us continually that we are all brothers. 

Q. What are the effects of the sacraments .' 

A. The effects of the sacraments are to sanctify us, 
either by giving us grace or by augmenting it. 

Q. Which are the sacraments that give grace ? 

A. The sacraments which give grace, that is, of 
sinners make us just, are baptism and penance; for 
this reason they are called the sacraments of the dead^ 

Q. Which are the sacraments that augment grace ia 
us ? 

A. All the other sacraments augment in us the 
grace already received; they are, therefore, called the 
sacraments of the living. 

Q. What else do baptism, confirmation, and holy 
orders effect } 

A. Baptism, confirmation, and holy orders also 
imprint on us an indelible character, which renders us 
competent to perform or receive certain things in the 
order of religion. They can be receivedjbut once ; all 
the sacraments produce their effects by their proper 
virtue. 

Q. What are the elements of the sacraments ? 

A. The elements of the sacraments are the things of 
which they are composed. These are three in number ; 
the matter, the form, and the minister 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 197 

Q. How do we know that our Lord has instituted 
the seven sacraments ? 

A. We know that our Lord has instituted the seven 
sacraments from the Scriptures, and from tradition. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, by Com- 
mnnion, — Of Baptism, 

Q. How many sacraments are there ? 

A. There are seven sacraments ; baptism, confirma- 
tion, holy eucharist, penance, extreme unction, holy 
orders and matrimony; our Lord has instituted seven 
sacraments, because they are necessary for our spiritual 
life. 

Q. How so ? 

A. Baptism causes us to be born in Jesus Christ; 
confirmation fortifies us; the eucharist nourishes us; 
penance heals us ; extreme unction renews our 
strength at the hour of death ; holy orders perpetuate 
the ministers of the sacraments, and matrimony per- 
petuates the faithful who are to receive it. 

Q. What is baptism ? 

A. Baptism is a sacrament instituted by our Lord 
Jesus Christ to remit original sin, and to make us 
children of God and of the church. 

Q. What is the matter of the sacrament of baptism } 

A. The matter of the sacrament of baptism is 
water; sea water, river water, marsh water, every 
kind of natural water. 

Q. What is the form of the sacrament of baptism ? 

A. The form of the sacrament of baptism are the 

words which the priest pronounces whilst pouring the 

water on the head of the person baptized. They are : 

1 baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the 

17* 



198 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Son, and of the Holy Ghost, These words must be 
pronounced, not before nor after the pouring, but 
whilst the water is poured, and by him who pours it. 

Q. In how many ways can baptism be given ? 

A. Baptism can be given in three different ways: 
by immersion, by infusioUy and by aspersion. 

Q. How many kinds of baptism are there? 

A. We distinguish three kinds of baptism ; the 
baptism of water, which is the sacrament of baptism ; 
the baptism of blood, which is martyrdom ; and the 
baptism oi Jire, which is the desire to receive bap- 
tism. The second and third are not sacraments; but 
they supply the place of baptism when it cannot be 
received. 

Q. Who are the ministers of the sacrament of 
baptism ? 

A. The ministers of the sacrament of baptism are 
bishops and priests. In the case of necessity, any 
person can baptize; but without the ceremonies. For 
this reason, every person should know how to baptize, 

Q. When did our Lord institute baptism ? 

A. Our Lord instituted baptism when he himself was 
baptized by St. John in the Jordan. 

Q. When did it become obligatory to receive baptism 
in order to be saved } 

A. It became obligatory to receive baptism in order 
to be saved when our Lord said to his apostles : Go 
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 

Q. Is it obligatory to baptize children as soon as 
they are born ? 

A. Yes, it is obligatory to baptize children as soon 
as they are born ; with good reason does the church 
command it. 

Q. What are the obligations of god-fathers and 
god -mothers ? 

A. God-fathers apd god-mothers are obliged to see 
that their god-children faithfully fulfil the promises of 
baptism. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 199 

Q. What are the effects of baptism ? 

A. 1st, baptism effaces original sin, and actual sin, 
if we are guilty of any, previous to our baptism ; 2d, 
it remits all the punishment due to sin; 3d, it makes 
lis children of God and heirs of heaven; 4th, it makes 
us children of the church, and gives us a right to all 
her ffoods; 5th, it imprints upon our soul an indelible 
character, w^hich distinguishes Us from those who are 
not Christians. 

Q. What are the obligations of baptism ? 

A. Baptism obliges us, 1st, to remain always 
attached to Jesus Christ; 2d, to continue in union 
with the church; 3d, to renounce whatever is contrary 
to the life which, as children of God, we are bound 
to lead. 

Q. Why is baptism the most necessary of all the 
sacraments ? 

A. Baptism is the most necessary of all the sacra- 
ments because it is impossible to be saved without it. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

Of our union with our fjord, the new Mam, by 
Communion. — Baptism^ continued 

- Q. What is the history of baptism ? 

A. In the first ages of the church, those vi?'ho asked 
for baptism were not immediately permitted to receive 
it. They were instructed, and underwent a trial, 
ordinarily, for two years; they were called catechu- 
mens, that is, catechised. When the time for their 
baptism approached, they were examined in assemblies, 
called assemblies of scrutiny. 

Q. When was the baptism given ? 

A. Baptism was given during the night previous to 
Easter and Pentecost; because the first of these feasts 



200 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

recalled to mind the passage of the Red Sea by the 
Jews; and the second, the passage from the old to the 
new law. 

Q. What was done after the baptism ? 

A. After the baptism, the newly-baptized were 
dressed in white, to signify the innocence and spiritual 
liberty which they had recovered. They then received 
confirmation and communion; after which, milk and 
honey were presented to them to eat, to signify that 
they had entered into the true land of promise. 

Q. How long did the new^y baptized wear their 
white garments? 

A. The newly baptized wore their white garments 
during eight days ; which were days of joy, prayer, 
instruction, and all kinds of good w^orks. 

Q. Did the first Christians preserve faithfully the 
remembrance of their baptism ? 

A. They did preserve it faithfully; each year they 
celebrated the anniversary with new fervor. This 
feast was called the Annotine (that is annual) Pasch. 
t^ Q. When did confirmation and communion cease to 
be given to the newly baptized ? 

A. Confirmation ceased to be given to the newly 
baptized when it was no longer possible for bishops 
themselves to administer the baptism; and the com- 
munion ceased to be given to the newly baptized when 
the church for very wise reasons forbade the giving of 
communion, in both kinds, to the laity. This pro- 
hibition was made about the beginning of the fifteenth 
century by the council of Constance. 

Q. Are the ceremonies which accompany the ad- 
ministration of baptism worthy of our respect.' 

A. There is nothing more venerable than the cere- 
monies which accompany the administration of bap- 
tism ; they date back to the first ages of the church, 
and represent perfectly the grandeur and effects of 
the sacrament of baptism. 

Q. What are the temporal advantages of baptism ? 

A. The temporal advantages of baptism are: 1st, to 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 201 

protect tlie life of the child; 2d, to protect its inno- 
cence ; 3d, to inspire parents with a great respect and 
care for Their child; 4th, to make them bear cheer- 
fully the trouble and pain inseparable from its early 
education. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Mam, by 
Communion. — Of Confirmation, 

Q. What is confirmation ? 

A. Confirmation is a sacrament by which we 
receive the Holy Ghost, with ail his gifts, and are 
made perfect Christians. 

Q. What is the matter of the sacrament of confir- 
mation ? 

A. The matter of the sacrament of confirmation is 
the holy chrism. The holy chrism is a compound of 
olive oil and balsam, consecrated by the bishop on 
Holy Thursday. The oil signifies the sw^eetness and 
force communicated to us by the Holy Ghost; and the 
balsam signifies the sweet odor of virtue which they 
should spread around them who have received confir- 
mation. 

Q. What is the form of the sacrament of confirma- 
tion ? 

A. The form of the sacrament of confirmation con- 
sists in these words, which the bishop pronounces 
whilst he performs the sacred unction: / sign thee 
with the si n of the cross, and I confirm thee with the 
chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of 
the Son, and of the H ly Ghost. The imposition of the 
bishop's hands and the accompanying prayer, are also 
an essential rile, which dates back to our Lord Jesus 
Christ. 



302 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE, 

Q. Who is the minister of confirmation? 

A. The minister of confirmation is the bishop, h 
successor of the apostles; the bishop alone possesses 
this ri»ht, as it belonged only to the apostles. 

Q. Why (Joes the bishop make the unction of th4 
holy chrism on the forehead ? 
' A. To teach us not to be ashamed of our faith. 

Q. Why does he give a slight blow on the cheek 
of the person confirmed.? 

A. To teach them that they must be ready to suffer 
all kinds of contradictions for Jesus Christ. 

Q. What are the dispositions for receiving confirma- 
tion ? 

A. The dispositions for receiving the confirmation I 
are two fold ; those of the body and those of the soul. 
Those of the body are: 1st, to be fasting, if we can; 
2d, to be modest in our dress and all our exterior 
deportment ; 3d, to have the face clean, especially the 
forehead, where the bishop performs the sacred unction. 
Those of the soul are: 1st, to be baptized; 2d, to 
know the chief articles of faith, and what concerns 
the sacrament of confirmation; 3d, to be in a state o| 
grace. 

Q Why is it necessary to receive confirmation ? 

A. It is necessary to receive confirmation because 
we need strength to faithfully practice our religion. 
He who, through nei!;lect or contempt, fails to receive 
confirmation, renders himself guilty of a great sin be- 
fore God. 

Q. What are the effects of confirmation .' 

A. 1st, confirmation perfects in us the grace of 
baptism ; 2d, it gives us the courage to confess our 
faith in the time of persecution; 3d, it imprints on us 
an indelible character. During the first ages of the 
church it communicated also the gift of miracles, of 
tongues, and of prophecy. These extraordinary gifts 
continued only while they were necessary for the 
establishment of the church. 

I 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 203 

. Q. Mention some of the advantages of confirnaation. 
A. 1st, this sacrament inspires us with an exalted 
idea of our dignity ; 2d, it teaches us the true nature of 
life; 3d, it furnishes us with the arms necessary to 
fight valiantly, and to avoid those shameful defeats 
which would render us miserable even in this world. 



CHAPTER XXXVIl. 

Of our union with our Lord^ the new Adam, by Com- 

munion, — The Eucharist, 

Q. What is the Eucharist ? 

A. The Eucharist is a sacrament which contains 
truly, really and substantially, the body, the bJood, the 
soul, and the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, under 
the species or forms of bread and wine. The fathers 
of the church called the Eucharist also the continua- 
tion of the mystery of the incarnation, because our 
Lord in it renews in some manner for each of us the 
wonders of his incarnation. 

Q. What is the name given to this adorable sacra- 
ment? 

A. From the first a^es several names have been 
given to this adorable sacrament, such as the Breaking 
of bread; the Eucharist, or thanksgiving; Communion, 
because therein we are intimately united to our Lord ; 
Viaticum, because it is the food of man traveling to 
eternity. 

Q. What is the matter of the Eucharist.? 

A Bread and wine are the matter of the Eucharist; 
for our Lord, for the consecration of his body and 
blood, took bread and blessed it, saying, lliis is my 
body, and then he took wine, and blessed it, saying. 
This is my blood. 



204 CATECHISIM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Why has our Lord chosen bread and wine for 
the matter of the Eucharist ? 

A. Our Lord has chosen bread and wine for the 
matter of the Eucharist, to teach us, 1st, that his 
body and blood must be the food of our soul, as bread 
and wine are the food of our body ; 2d, that the end of 
the sacrament is to unite us intimately with him and 
with our brethren. 

Q What is the form of the Eucharist ? 

A. The form of the Eucharist are the w^ords of con- 
secration which the priest pronounces at mass. 

Q. What takes place at the moment of consecration? 

A. At the moment of consecration the bread and 
wine are really and entirely changed into the body and 
blood of our Lord. This change is called Transub- 
itantiation. That which afterwards appears to our 
senses, as the color, the figure, and the taste, is but the 
form and appearance. 

Q Is our Lord whole and entire in the Eucharist 
under each form ? 

A. Yes, our Lord is w^hole and entire in the Eucha- 
rist under each form, both as God and man ; for our 
Lord is so under the forms of the Eucharist that he 
cannot be divided. 

Q. What are the effects of the holy communion ? 

A. 1st, the communion gives us the life of the new 
Adam. He, says the Saviour, that eateth my flesh and 
drinketh my blood hath eternal life ; 2d, it unites us 
corporally and spirituallyto our Lord, in a union so in- 
timate that a father of the church compares it to two 
pieces of wax melted together ; 3d, it weakens the 
ardor of concupiscence, strenthens the soul, and 
communicates to our body the principle of a glorious 
resurrection. 

Q What are the dispositions for communion ? 

A. The dispositions for communion are two-fold, 
those of the body and those of the soul. The dispo- 
sitions of the body are fasting and modest deportment 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 205 

Those of the soul are, to be in a state of grace, which 
is necessary to avoid sacrilege, and, in order to com- 
municate with more fruit, we must have a lively faith 
and a great desire of our spiritual improvement. 

Q. What sin would he commit who should commu- 
nicate with a mortal sin on his conscience ? 

A. He would commit a horrid sacrilege. The means 
to avoid this misfortune is to make a good confession ; 
and the means to communicate piously, is to meditate 
on these three questions : Who is it that comes to us ? 
Who are we to whom he comes ? Why does he come 
to us ? And after communion to make our thanksgiv- 
ing with great recollection. 

Q. Is it necessary to receive communion ? 

A. It iis necessary to receive communion, for our 
Lord and the church make it an obligation. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, by Com- 
munion, — The Eucharist, continued, 

Q. By whom were formerly offered the bread and 
wine which were consecrated on the altar? 

A. Formerly the bread and wine consecrated on the 
altar, were offered by the faithful who themselves 
made the bread for the communion. The emperors 
and empresses conformed to this usage. 

Q. How did the first Christians communicate ? 

A. The first Christians communicated standing, in 
imitation of the children of Israel who had eaten thus 
the paschal lamb, the figure of the Eucharist. 

Q. Did they communicate under bot-h forms ? 

A. They communicated under both forms. This 
usage ceased on account of the danger of spilling the 
sacred blood, and the difficulty of procuring wine in 
18 



206 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

the north, whose inhabitants at a later period were 
c onverted to the faith. 

Q. How did they receive under the form of bread ? 

A. They received under the form of bread, the men 
in their naked hand, ani the women in their right hand 
which was covered with a fine white linen. They 
then administered to themselves the sacred body of 
the Saviour and drank his precious blood from a chal- 
ice common to all and presented by the priests. 

Q. Did they sometimes communicate under one form 
only ? 

A. Yes, they communicated sometimes under one 
form only, for instance on Good Friday. 

Q. Was communion given to those who could not 
assist at the holy sacrifice ? 

A. To those who could not assist at the holy sacri- 
fice, communion was carried by the deacons ; for the 
early Christians would not have thought that they 
could sustain themselves in virtue without this bread 
of the strong. 

Q. Were they permitted to carry the Eucharist to 
their homes ? 

A. Yes, they were permitted to carry the Eucharist 
to their own houses, and administer communion to 
themselves. It was particularly at the approach of 
persecution that they secured a provision of this life- 
giving food. 

Q. Were they permitted to carry it with them when 
traveling ? 

A. They were permitted to carry it with them when 
traveling, as a guide and a sure preservative against all 
dangers of body and soul. So great was their piety 
that there was no danger that the Saviour, become the 
companion of their journey, would suffer any irrever- 
ence from them. 

Q. How was the Eucharist preserved in the churches.^ 

A. The Eucharist was preserved in tabernacles made 
in the form of a tower or a dove, suspended above the 
altars. The tower is emblematic of the strength of the 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 207 

sacrament, and the dove emblematic of the mildness, 
innocence and ingenuousness which the sacrament com- 
municates to our souls. 

Q. What are even the temporal advantages of the 
holy communion ? 

A. These are some of the temporal advantages of 
the holy communion : 1st, it preserves sanctity and 
prevents a host of disorders which would render us 
unhappy ; 2d, it makes us practice many virtues from 
which we derive temporal advantages; 3d, of itself it 
inspires works of charity and devotedness so useful to 
society. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Mam, by Com- 
munion, — Penance, 

Q. What is the sacrament of penance ? 

A. Penance is a sacrament instituted by our Lord 
Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins committed after 
baptism. There is no sin, how great soever, that may 
not be forgiven by the sacrament of penance, if well 
received. 

Q. What is the matter of the sacrament of penance? 

A. The matter of the sacrament of penance is con- 
trition, confession, and satisfaction ; but in order to re- 
pent of our sins we must know them, and therefore 
examine our consciences. 

Q. In what does the examen of conscience consist ? 

A. The examen of conscience consists in dili^c ntly 
trying to find out what sins we have committed since 
our last good confession. 

Q What are the qualities of the examen of con- 
Bcience ? 

A. The examen of conscience should be, 1st, exact, 
thatis, we must examine ourselves on all the sins of 



203 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

thoughts, words, actions, and omissions which we 
may have committed; 2d, impartial, that is, we must 
examine ourselves without favor, as we would exam- 
ine a stranger. 

Q. What are the means to make a good examen of 
conscience ? 

A. The means to make a good examen of conscience 
are prayer, a lively faith, recollection, and the habit of 
self-examination every evening. 

Q. What is contrition ? 

A. Contrition is a sorrow of soul and detestation of 
the sins which we have committed, with the firm pur- 
pose of never committing them again. There are two 
kinds of contrition ; perfect contrition and imperfect 
contrition — which latter is called attrition. 

Q. 4 What is perfect contrition ? 

A. Perfect contrition is sorrow for having offended 
God, because he is infinitely good and because sin dis- 
pleases him. Perfect contrition, joined with the resolve 
to have recourse to the sacrament of penance as soon 
as it is in our power, is sufficient to remit sins. 

Q. What is imperfect contrition ? 

A. Imperfect contrition is sorrow for having offended 
God, because sin merits hell, deprives us of heaven, 
and is so odious in itself ; it implies a commencement 
of the love of God, and in order to remit sin it must be 
joined to the sacrament of penance. 

Q. What are the qualities of contrition ? 

A. Contrition must be interior, sovereign, supernat- 
ural, universal ; interior, that is, it must be in the 
heart, and not merely upon the lips or in the imagina- 
tion; sovereign, mortal sin should displease us more 
than all other evils, because it deprives us of God, the 
greatest of all goods ; supernatural, it must be produced 
in us by the grace of the Holy GhoSft, and founded up- 
on motives of faith; universal, it must extend to all 
mortal sins without exception. 

Q. What is firm purpose ? 

A. Firm purpose is a determined, efficacious resolu- 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 209 

tion never to offend God again ; it must have the same 
qualities as contrition. 

Q. What is confession ? 

A. Confession is the accusation of our sins to an 
authorized priest, for the purpose of obtaining absolu- 
tion ? 

Q. What are the qualities of confession ? 

A. Confession must be, 1st, simple, that is, we must 
say clearly whatever is necessary that our confessor 
may know the state of our consciences; 2d, humble, 
because it is an accusation against ourselves ; 3d, pure, 
that is, we must confess with ibe intention of becoming 
better ; 4th, sincere, we must confess our sins, such as 
they are, without diminution, disguise, or concealment ; 
5th, entire, we must confess all the mortal sins we 
remember, after due examination, as also the circum- 
stances which change the nature of the sin. 



CHAPTER XL. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Mam, by Com- 
munion. — Penance continued, 

Q. What do you remark on these words of our 
Lord : Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall 
forgive they are forgiven them; and whose you shall rC' 
tain they are retained ? 

A. I remark on these words that a two- fold power 
is given to the apostles and their successors : the 
power to forgive sins and the power to retain them. 
But they cannot forgive nor retain them if they do not 
inow them, and they ^cannot know them unless the 
Denitent confesses them ? 
* Q. What follows from this } 

A. It follows from this that confession is absolutely 
necessary and its institution divine. 
II* 



1 



210 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Is confession the only means established by Jesus 
Christ for the remission of sins? 

A. Confession is the only means established by Jesus 
Christ for the remission of sins, for, 1st, our Lord does 
not point out any other ; 2d, the church knows of no 
other ; 3d, if there were any other, the power to forgive 
and retain sins confided to the apostles, would be vain 
and useless. 

Q. How so ? 

A. No one would confess ; every one would choose 
in preference the easiest means of obtaining pardon 
for his sins. 

Q. Has confession always been practiced from the 
time of the apostles down to the present time ? 

A. Yes, confession has always been practiced from 
the time of the apostles down to the present time. In 
the first ages of the church there were even two kinds 
of confession; auricular or private confession, and 
public confession. The first is the sacramental con- 
fession established by our Lord ; whereas public con- 
fession was established by the church. 

Q. Were both equally necessary ? 

A. Both were not equally necessary. Sacramental 
confession has always been necessary; but this was 
not the case with public confession, which was not in 
use more than five or six centuries. 

Q. Will you show that auricular confession dates 
back to the apostles ? 

A. It has been impiously asserted that confession 
does not date further back than the thirteenth century. 
But this is an error; we have witnesses for confession 
from the thirteenth century up to the apostles. For 
the twelfth, we have St. Bernard; for the eleventh, 
St. Peter Damian; for the tenth, Reginon Abbott of 
the diocess of Treves; for the ninth, the council of 
Paris; for the eighth, St. Boniface, archbishop of 
Mayence; for the seventh, St. Gregory the Great; for 
the sixth, St. Leo ; for the fifth, St. Augustin ; for the 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 211 

fourth, St. Chrysostom; for the third, St. Basil; for 
the second, Origen ; for the first, St. Clement, disciple 
of St. Peter; and among the apostles, we have St. 
John, St. James and St. Luke; and finally, our Lord 
Jesus Christ, who has said : And I ivill give to thee 
the keys of the kingdom of heaven ; and whatsoever thou 
shalt bind upon earth it shall be bound also in heaven; 
and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be 
loosed also in heaven, 

Q. What is the third part of the sacrament of 
penance ? 

A. The third part of the sacrament of penance is 
satisfaction. After the remission of the eternal punish- 
ment, there ordinarily remains a temporal punishment 
to be undergone, and penance is a part of it. 

Q,. What is the form of the sacrament of penance ? 

A. The form of the sacrament of penance are the 
words of the absolution. In order that the absolution 
may be valid, it must be given by a priest, approved by 
a lawful bishop. 

Q. Who are the ministers of the sacrament of 
penance ? 

A. The ministers of the sacrament of penance are 
bishops and priests. 

Q. Who has instituted the sacrament of penance ? 

A. Our Lord instituted the sacrament of penance 
when, breathino; upon his apostles, he said to them : 
Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins you shall forgive, 
they are forgiven them, and whose you shall retain they 
are retained. 



CHAPTER XLl. 

Of our union with our Lord, the neiv Adam, hy 
Charity, — Penance continued, 

Q. What are the effects of the sacrament of penance? 
A. These are the effects of the sacrament of penance : 



212 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

1st, it remits all the sins committed after baptism ; 2d, 
it remits the eternal punishment due to sin and some- 
times even the temporal punishment; 3d, it restores 
the merit of good works, 

Q. What are the essential dispositions for receiving 
the sacrament of penance ? 

A. The essential dispositions for receiving the sac- 
rament of penance, are instruction and the acts of the 
penitent, contrition, confession and satisfaction. In 
order to receive this sacrament with more fruit, we 
must have a lively faith, a great confidence, a profound 
humility and a sincere gratitude. 

Q. Is the sacrament of penance necessary ? 

A. The sacrament of penance is necessary for those 
who fall into mortal sin after baptism, as baptism is 
for those who have not received it. 

Q, What are the prayers and ceremonies that ac- 
company confession ? 

A. On entering the confessional, the penitent kneels 
down, makes the sign of the cross, to remind him that 
the Son of God has died for him, and then he says: 
Bless me, father, for I have sinned, 

Q. Why does the penitent call his confessor father? 

A. The penitent calls his confessor father, 1st, be- 
cause it is he who is to restore him to the life of grace ; 
2d, to excite in him those sentiments of compassion 
and charity which he hopes to find in him ; 3d, to show 
his confidence and obedience. 

Q. What does the confessor do ? 

A. The confessor asks of God to grant the penitent 
the grace to make a sincere and good confession. 

Q. What does the penitent do then ? 

A. The penitent says the Confteor, as far as the 
words, through my fault. The Confiteor is a confession 
by which the penitent calls upon God and ihe saints to 
hear the acknowledgment of his faults, in order to 
humble himself and render them propitious. 

Q. By what is the Confiteor followed ? 

A. The Confiteor is followed by an exact confession 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 213 

of all faults. After this the penitent strikes his breast 
in si2:n of grief and says : Through my fault, through 
my fault, through my most grievous fault ! 

Q. What prayers does the confessor say ? 

A. The confessor says two prayers to obtain pardon 
for the sins of the penitent. He then points out the 
means of avoiding sin for the future, imposes the pen- 
ance, and if he finds him properly disposed gives him 
absohition. 

Q. Is the sacrament of penance very beneficial to 
man and to society ? 

A. The sacrament of penance is very beneficial to 
man ; it instructs, encourages, consoles, and restores 
him to peace ; and to society, by preventing many 
crimes and repairing many disorders. 



CHAPTER XLII. 

Of our u7iion with our Lm-d, the new Mam, by 
Communion. — Indulgence — TJie Jubilee, 

Q. What are indulgences] 

A. An indulgence is the remission of the temporal 
punishment due to sin ; and which the church grants[us 
through the merits of Jesus Christ and the saints, 
apart from the sacrament of penance. 

Q. Has the church power to grant indulgences ? 

A. Jesus Christ gave the church power to o^rant in- 
dulgences when he said to his apostles : Whatsoever 
you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven / 
and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be 
loosed also in heaven. These words give to the 
church the power to forgive sins ; and consequently 
the power to remit the temporal punishment due 
to sin. 



214 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Has the church always exercised this power] 

A. The church has always exercised this power. 
St. Paul used it in the case ot the scandalous Christian, 
in consideration of the faithful of Corinlh. In times 
of persecution, the church often abridged the penance 
of sinners at the instance of the confessors and the 
martyrs. God himself has pardoned us on acccunt of 
the merits of our Lord ; so that all Christianity is but 
a great indulgence. 

Q. What is the source of indulgences? 

A. The source of indulgences are the superabundant 
merits of our Lord, of the Virgin and the saints. 

Q. What is necessary to gain indulgences .' 

A. In order to gain indulgences, we must, 1st, per- 
form the works or prayers prescribed by the sovereign 
pontiff, according to his intention; it is sufficient, if 
the last of the acts prescribed be performed in a state 
of grace; 2d, in order to gain a plenary indulgence 
it is necessary to detest every sin, without exception, 
even venial sins. 
^ Q. What do you mean by plenary indulgence ? 

A. By plenary indulgence is meant the full remis- 
sion of all the canonical punishments W'hich the 
church formerly imposed upon every kind of sin. 

Q. What is meant by an indulgence of seven years, 
of forty days, &c. ? 

A. By an indulgence of seven years, and forty days, 
&c., is meant the remission of the penance of seven 
years, &c., formerly imposed by the church upon 
public penitents. 

Q. Does a plenary indulgence remit all the pains of 
purgatory ? 

A. We are free to believe so; but the church has 
not defined it. It is sufficient for us to know that he 
who gains an indulgence obtains a remission of the 
pains of purgatory proportioned to his fervor. 

Q. What is the jubilee ? 

A. The great jubilee is that which is granted every 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 215 

twenty-fifth year. It commences at Rome on the eve 
of Christmas, where it Jasls one year, and then ex- 
tends to the whole of Christendom. 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, by \ 
Communion. — Extreme Unction. 

Q. What is extreme unction ? 

A. Extreme unction is a sacrament instituted by our 
Lord for the spiritual and corporal consolation of the 
sick. 

Q. What is the matter of extreme unction ? 

A. The matter of extreme unction is the oil blessed 
by the bishop on Holy Thursday. The oil is blessed 
to show that it operates in the sacrament, not by its 
own virtue, but by the power of God. 

Q What is the form of the sacrament ? 

A. The form of the sacrament are these words, pro- 
nounced by the priest whilst he anoints the different 
senses : Through this holy unction and his own most 
tender mercy, may the Lord pardon thee, whatever sins 
thou hast committed by thy sight t thy hearing, thy 
smell, ^c. 

Q. Why are the different senses anointed ? '' 

A. The different senses are anointed to purify them 
• and expiate the sins of which they have been the 
instruments. 

Q. Who is the minister of this sacrament ? 

A. The minister of this sacrament is the priest. 

Q. What are the effects of extreme unction ? 

A. The effects oi extreme unction are: 1st, to 
restore health, when useful for the salvation of the 
soul ; 2cl, to efface unknown or forgotten sins; 3d, to 
take away the effects of sin, such as heaviness, which 



216 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

prevents the soul from raising itself up to God ; 4th, to 
comfort and fortify the sick, so as to enable them to 
bear with patience the pains of sickness. 

Q. What are the dispositions for receivmg this 

sacrament ? 

A. The dispositions for receiving this sacrament, are 
1st, to be in a state of grace ; 2d, to make, whilst re- 
ceiving it, acts of faith, love and contrition ; 3d, to re- 
ceive it whilst in our senses ; for this, it is well to get 
some one to promise to let us know when we are in 

danger. ., , .. u 

Q. Of what sin would he be guilty, who, through 
contempt, should neglect to receive extreme unction .' 

A. He who, through contempt, should neglect to 
receive extreme unction would be guilty of a great sin. 

Q. How was this sacrament formerly received? 

A. This sacrament was formerly received in the 
church, or at home, the sick person being on his knees; 
this shows that it was not deferred till the last moment. 
The sick was then placed upon sackcloth and ashes, 
in order that he might, in some measure, imitate our 
Lord dying on the cross. 

Q. How should the sick chamber be arranged ? 

A. The sick chamber should be clean, the bed should 
have a white cover ; there should be a table covered with 
white cloth, and on it a crucifix, two lighted candles, ' 
holy water, and a plate with some cotton and a piece 
of bread to cleanse the fingers of the priest, and also 
water to wash them. 

Q. What end is proposed in the prayers said by 
the priest in the administration of this sacrament > ^ 

A. The end proposed in these prayers is to obtain 
for the sick person the divine mercy, health, and 
conformity to the will of God. ! "fQ 

Q. What end is proposed in the prayers for thei i 

departing ? , . , ^ I 

A. The end proposed, is to aid the sick person to h 
die well ; and after death, to obtain his deliverance from|iSci 
purgatory. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 217 

Q. What are the other advantages of extreme 
uaction ? 

A. The other advantages of the sacrament of ex- 
treme unction are: 1st, it consoles us for the loss of 
our relations and friends, by the hope of seeing them 
again in a better life ; 2d, it proclaims aloud the dogma 
of immortality, the great restraint upon the passions, 
which desolate the v^orld. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Mam, by 

Communion — Sacrament of Holy Orders, 

Q. Why did our Lord institute the first five 
sacraments ? 

A. Our Lord instituted the first five sacraments 
to prepare, consummate, repair, and strengthen the 
union we form with him in the holy communion. 

Q. Why did he institute the sacrament of holy 
orders ? 

A. He instituted the sacrament of holy orders in 
order that men might receive communion till the end 
of the world; and also to secure a succession of 
ministers to continue and direct his church. 

Q. What is holy orders ? 

A. Holy orders is a sacrament instituted by our 
[Lord Jesus Christ, which gives power to perform 
ecclesiastical functions and the grace to exercise them 
' in a holy manner. 

Q,. What is the matter of the sacrament of holy 
. orders ? 

A. The matter of the sacrament of holy orders is 
the imposition of hands, the touching of the sacred 
[vessels; it signifies the power given to priests over 
^sacred things. 
I 19 



218 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q What is the form and who the minister of the 
sacrament of holy orders ? 

A. The form of this sacrament are the words 
spoken by the bishop who makes the ordination ; the 
minister is the bishop himself. v^^ 

Q. When did our Lord institute this sacrament ? mi 

A. Our Lord instituted this sacrament when at the 
close of the last supper, he said to his apostles : Do 
this in commemoration of me. 

Q. What are the effects of the sacrament of holy 
orders ? 

A. The effects of the sacrament of holy orders, are 
the grace which it communicates ; the indelible char- 
acter which it imprints, and the power which it confers 
to exercise the ecclesiastical functions. 

Q. What are these functions ? 

A. Of these functions, some regard the natural body 
of our Lord, the others his mystical body, which is the 
church. Holy orders gives to priests the power to 
consecrate the body of our Lord, and to distribute it 
to the faithful ; also to baptize, preach, and forgive 
sins. 

Q. Why are we obliged to respect priests? 

A. We are obliged to respect priests: 1st, because 
their dignity surpasses that of angels and of men ; 
2d, because Jesus Christ has said to priests : He that 
hears you, hears me ; and he that despises you, despises 
me, 

Q. Why do we owe gratitude to priests ? 

A. We owe gratitude to priests because they are the 
benefactors of men. They pray for us; they instruct 
us; they sanctify us; they have drawn the world out 
of barbarism, and they prevent it from relapsing into 
the same condition; they solace us in all our mis- 
fortunes. 

Q. What are the principal dispositions for receiving 
the sacrament of holy orders ? 

A. The principal dispositions are knowledge, virtue, 
age and vocation. | 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 219 

Q. What is the ceremony of the tonsure ? 

A. The ceremony of the tonsure has been estab- 
lished by the church, to separate from the world those 
who are preparing for Holy Orders, and to inspire them 
to practice the virtues of their vocation. It dates back 
to the first ages. 

Q. How do the candidates for tonsure present them- 
selves before the altar ? 

A. They present themselves before the altar, with a 
surplice on their arm and a candle in their hand. The 
surplice with which the bishop clothes them signifies 
that they clothe themselves with Jesus Christ, and the 
candle the charity which induces them to consecrate 
themselves to God and expend their life in his service. 

Q. How many orders are there ? 

A. There are seven orders — the priesthood, the dea- 
conship and subdeaconship, which are properly called 
the holy orders ; and the four orders of the acolyte, the 
reader, the exorcist and door-keeper, which are called 
the Minor Orders. All these orders have reference to 
the eucharist. 



CHAPTER XLV. 

Of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, hy Com- 
munion. — Sacrament of Holy Orders, continued. 

Q. Which is the first of the minor orders ? 
A. The first of the minor orders, which is given after 
the ceremony of ^tonsure, is the order of door-keeper, 

^ or porter. 

' Q. What are its duties 1 

* A. In the first ages it was the duty of the door- 
keeper to open tbe^church, keep it clean, maintain or- 
der and announce the hours of prayer and of the offices, 

^H All the ceremonies at the ordination of door-keeper are 
indicative of his several duties. 



220 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Which is the second of the minor orders ? 

A. The second of the minor orders is that of lector, 
or reader. It was the duty of the lector to read the 
Scripture to the people in the church. For this rea- 
son, the bishop, in ordaining lectors, makes them take 
in their hands the book of the Epistles. 

Q. Which is the third ? 

A. The third of the minor orders is that of exorcist, 
appointed to exorcise the catechumens, deliver the pos- 
sessed, who were very numerous when the church 
commenced, as we learn from the gospel and from the 
fathers. In their ordination the bishop makes the ex- 
orcists touch the missal, as it is by the word of God 
that they are enabeld to cast out devils. 

Q, Which is the fourth? 

A. The fourth of the minor orders is that of acolyte, 
which signifies one who follows or who accompanies, 
because it was the duty of the acolyte always to ac- 
company the bishop and serve him at the altar. For 
this reason, in the ordination of acolytes, the bishop 
makes them touch an empty cruet, and hold in their 
hand a candlestick with a lighted candle. 

Q. Which is the first of the holy orders ? 

A. The first of the holy orders is that of subdeacon. 
Subdeacons, formerly, were the secretaries of the bish- 
ops who employed them in their negotiations, in dis- 
tributing alms, and in the care of their temporalities. 

Q. What are their duties at the present day ? 

A. Their duties are now reduced to waiting on the 
deacon at the altar. Before their ordination the sub- 
deacons prostrate themselves in front of the altar, in 
order to show that they renounce the world for ever 
and consecrate themselves to the service of God and 
the church. 

Q. Which is the second of the holy orders ? 

A. The second of the holy orders is the deaconship. 
The deacons were ordained by the apostles themselves 
o^watch over the wants of the poor, to baptize, preach, 



CATECHISM er PERSEVERANCE. 221 

and administer the eucharist to the faithful. During 
the time of persecution they were charged to visit the 
confessors and martyrs in their prisons, and provide 
for their wants. 

Q. What are now their duties ? 

A. The deacons now wait on the priest and the 
bishop at the aUar, sing the gospel, and present the 
bread and wine for consecration. Before their ordina- 
tion, they prostrate themselves, as the subdeacons, to 
show anew their renunciation of the world. 

Q. Which is the third of the holy orders ? 

A. The third of the holy orders is the priesthood. 
The duties of the priest have always been and still are 
to offer the holy sacrifice, to preside at the meetings of 
the faithful, to preach the word of God, to bless the 
people, to baptize and to administer the sacraments. 

Q. What act do they perform before their ordination? 

A. Before their ordination, priests, like deacons and 
subdeacons, prostrate themselves before the altar. 
Before we are made Christians we three times renounce 
the devil ; before they are ordained, priests three times 
renounce the world, to show that they are perfectly 
consecrated to the service of Jesus and the faithful. 

Q What are the social advantages of the sacrament 
of holy orders ? 

A. Society owes every thing to the sacrament of 
holy orders; for there is no society without religion, 
there is no religion without priests, and no priests 
without the sacrament of holy orders. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 
Of our union with our Lord, ike new Adam, hy Com- 
munion. — Sacrament of Matrimony. 
Q. What is matrimony ? 

A. JVIatrimony is a sacrament instituted by our Lord 
19* 



222 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Jesus Christ, which gives to those who receive it the 
grace to sanctify their state, and to bring up their chil- 
dren in a Christian manner ; it represents the union of 
Jesus Christ with the church. 

Q. What effects does this sacrament produce ? 

A. This sacrament produces three effects. It gives 
to those who receive it worthily the grace, 1st, to 
sanctify themselves; 2d, to brin^ up their children in a 
Christian manner; 3d, to represent the union of Jesus 
Christ with the church. 

Q. How do the married couple represent this union ? 

A. They represent this union by their holiness, their 
mutual love, and their fidelity till death. 

Q. What are the dispositions for receiving the sac- 
rament of matrimony]; 

A. The principal dispositions for receiving the sac- 
rament of matrimony in a Christian manner, are a state 
of grace, instruction, vocation and purity of intention. 

Q. What are the bans ? 

A. The bans are the publication of a marriage to 
take place. This publication is made on Sundays, or 
festivals of obligation. 

Q. Why so? 

A. For two reasons principally — 1st, to ask the 
prayers of the faithful, that God may bless the parties 
about to be married ; 2d, to ascertain if there be any 
impediment to the marriage. We are obliged, under 
pain of a very grave fault, to make known any im- 
pediments of which we may be aware. 

Q. What are impediments to marriage ? 

A. Impediments to marriage are obstacles which 
prevent marriage. There are some which render the 
marriage null, and others which render it only illicit. 

Q. VVhat are the chief impediments which render 
marriage null 1 

A. The chief impediments which render marriage 
null, are, 1st, error of person ; 2d, solemn vow of chas- 
tity ; 3d, relationship ; 4th, difference of religion ; 5th, 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 223 

rape ; 6th, public infamy ; 7th, affinity ; 8th, abduction ; 
9th, clandestine performance of the marriage. 

Q. What are the impediments that render marriage 
illicit ? 

• A. The impediments which render marriage illicit, 
are, 1st, simple vow of chastity; 2d, previous promise 
of marriage to another ; 3d, the prohibition of the 
church. 

Q. What must be done when there is an impediment 
to marriage ? 

A. When there is an impediment to marriage, a dis- 
pensation must be asked of the Pope or the bishop. 
The money received on the occasion of such dispensa- 
tions is applied to charitable purposes. 

Q. What are some of the ceremonies accompanying 
the celebration of marriage .' 

A. On the day of her marriage the woman is dressed 
in white, as an emblem of her virtue. A ring is blessed 
as a pledge of her fidelity and obedience, and in some 
countries a piece of money is also blessed to signify a 
community of goods. These ceremonies date back to 
the tirst ages of the church. 

Q. What are the advantages which society derives 
from the sacrament of matrimony.^ 

A. Society derives great advantages from the sacra- 
ment of matrimony ; 1st, the good conduct of the mar- 
ried couple; 2d, the peace of families; 3d, the exclu- 
sion of a host of disorders prevalent among the pagans ; 
4th, the proper education of children. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 

< Conditions of owr union with our Lord, the new Jldam.^ 

Grace and Prayer. 

Q. What is the end of the sacraments and of all 
■ religion ? 

A. The end of the sacraments and of all religion is 
i to unite us to our Lord, 



224 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Can we by our own power, unite ourselves to 
our Lord ? 

A. We cannot by our own power unite ourselves to 
our Lord. We must have grace to do it. 

Q. Can we have grace of ourselves ? 

A. We cannot have grace of ourselves ; God wishes 
us to demand it of him, and he even gives us the grace, 
to demand it. 

Q. What is the ordinary means of obtaining grace ? 

A. The ordinary means of obtaining grace is prayer. 
Prayer is absolutely necessary. Our Lord has given 
us both precept and example. He has said : Pray al- 
ways, pray without ceasing ; he himself prayed much, 
and at all times the saints have been devoted to prayer. 

Q. What is the object of prayer or the things for 
which we are to pray ? 

A. The things for which we are to pray, are spirit- 
ual and corporal, temporal and eternal goods, for our- 
selves and our neighbor ; for our Lord has told us to 
ask for whatever we want, and it shall be granted to 
us. 

Q. At what times must we pray ? 

A. We must pray especially in the morning and 
evening, before and after our meals and principal ac- 
tions, and also, whenever we are tempted. 

3,- What are the qualities of prayer ? 

A. The qualities of prayer, are faith, humiJity, de- 
votion, perseverance and union with our Lord. 

Q. What are the obstacles to the success of our 
prayers ? 

A. The obstacles to success in our prayers, are 
want of proper dispositions, asking badly, asking things 
bad in themselves. 

Q. How many kinds of prayer are there ? 

A. There are two kinds of prayer, vocal prayer, and 
mental prayer or meditation ; both are necessary. In 
order to render vocal prayer more easy, our Lord has 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 225 

deigned to compose one, himself, for our use, namely, 
the Our Father, which is called also the Lord's prayer. 

Q. How many parts has the Our Father? 

A. The Our Father has three parts : the preparation, 
the body of the prayer, and the conclusion. The pre- 
paration is contained in these words, Our Father who 
art in heaven. 

Q. How do you explain them ? 

A. We call God, our Father, in order to propitiate 
his favor, by declarmg that we are his children : we 
say to him that h^ is in heaven, to acknowledge 
that he is happy, rich and all-powerful, whilst we, 
who are his children, are on earth, exiles, poor, 
sulfering, and exposed to a thousand dangers. 

Q. For how many things do we ask in the Our 
Father? 

A. We ask for seven things in the Our Father : the 

three first refer to God and his glory ; and the four 

others regard man and his wants. These seven things, 

7Which constitute the second part of the Our Father, 

compose the body of the Lord's Prayer. 

Q. What do we ask of God in the three first ? 

A. In the three first we ask of God: 1st, that his 
name shall no longer be unknown and blasphemed, but, 
that it may be known and glorified by all men ; 2d, 
that he shall reign absolutely and fully over us, instead 
of the devil and our passions, that the church may be 
extended over the whole earth, that the last judgment 
may come, and that heaven may be our portion ; 3d, 
that his will may be done by men on earth as the 
blessed do it in heaven. 
;• Q. For what do we ask in the four last ? 
t A. In the four last we ask : 1st, for whatever is 
■necegfeary for our body, as focd and raiment, and 
whatever is necessary for the soul, as grace and the 
boly communion ; 2d, a full pardon of all our offences ; 
3d, deliverance from temptations or victory over them ; 



226 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

4th, deliverance from all temporal and eternal evils, 
which are the consequences of sin. 

Q. VVhat is the conclusion of the Our Father? 

A. The conclusion of the Our Father is the Jlmeiiy 
which signifies so he it; I desire the accomplishment of 
ail I have asked. It is a brief repetition of the entire 
prayer, and should be pronounced with great faith and 
fervor. 

Q. What is mental prayer ? 

A. Mental prayer consists in meditating on some 
truth of salvation in order to m^ke it the rule of our 
conduct. Meditation is very necessary, for salvation 
is impossible without it. Meditation is very easy ; all 
that is necessary is to love, for we easily think of what 
we love. 

Q. Of how many parts does meditation consist ? 

A. Meditation consists of three parts: 1st, the pre- 
paration, that is, an act of belief in the presence of 
God, an act of humility and invocation of the Holy 
Ghost; 2d, the meditation, properly called, or thinking 
on the subject chosen for the meditation. 

Q. How is this second part performed ? 

A. We perform the second part of meditation, by 
reflecting on, and seriously considering some one of 
the truths of faith, by examining what our Lord and 
the saints have taught w^ith respect to that truth, and 
how they practiced it. We then compare our conduct 
with theirs, and make a resolution to correct ourselves 
and become more like them. 

Q. What is the third part of meditation or mental 
prayer ? 

A. The third part of meditation or mental prayer is 
the conclusion, which is composed of an act of 
thanksgiving and of offering. We then clo^ the 
whole, by recommending to God the wants of the souls 
in purgatory, and the wants of the church. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 227 



CHAPTER XLVIII. 
End qfour union with our Lord the new Adam. 

Q. What is the end of our union with our Lord the 
new Adam ? 

A. The end of our union with our Lord the new 
Adam, is to make us live of his life, in time, by an 
imitation of his virtues, and in eternity, by a partici- 
pation in his glory. 

Q. Why are we obliged to imitate our Lord ? 

A. We are obliged to imitate our Lord : 1st, because 
he descended from heaven to make us live of his life, 
by giving himself as our model, for he has said : 1 
have given you an example, that as I have done to 
you, so you do also; 2d, because none shall be saved 
but those who will have imitated his example ; 3d, be- 
cause we are Christians, and a Christian should be 
another Christ. 
'^ Q. in what is our Lord our model ? 

A. Our Lord is our model in every thing. In the 
first place, he is the model of the interior life, that is, 
of our thoughts and our affections. 

Q. [n what should we. conform our thoughts to 
those of our Lord ? 

A. We should conform our thoughts in all things to 
those of our Lord, think as he does with respect to 
God, ourselves, and to creatures. 

Q,. What are the thoughts of our Lord with respect 
to God, his father? 

A. In the pyes of our Lord, God the father is an 

"infinite being to whom we must refer all things, and 

whom we must Jove above all things, by always doing 

his will ; this our Lord has taught us by his example 

'during his mortal life, and in the Eucharist. 

Q. What are the thoughts of our Lord with respect 
to man ^ 

A. In the eyes of our Lord, man is the most precious 



228 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

of creatures, since to redeem him he descended from 
heaven, gave his blood on the cross, and still gives it 
in the Eucharist. 

Q. And with respect to creatures? 

A. In the eyes of our Lord, creatures are the means 
of raising us up to God. ' Riches, honors and pleasures 
are very dangerous, which he has shown by his ex- 
ample, during his mortal life, and in the Eucharist. 

Q. What are the affections of our Lord ? 

A. Our Lord has but two affections, the love of his 
father, and the love of men. He died for the glory of his 
father, and for the salvation of men ; he renews each 
day in the Eucharist, the sacrifice of his life, for the 
glory of his father and the salvation of men. 

Q. How has our Lord loved creatures ? 

A. Our Lord has loved creatures, as the w^ork of his 
hands ; he has made all of them subservient to the 
glory of his father, and the salvation of men. He 
preaches the same to us in the Eucharist., 



CHAPTER XLIX. 

End of our union with our Lord, the new Adam, con- 
tinued, 

Q. Is our Lord the model of the exterior life also? 

A. Our Lord is the model of the exterior life also; 
our actions, no less than our thoughts and affections, 
should be conformable to his, in order that every thing 
in us may bear the image of the heavenly man, as all 
have borne the image of the terrestrial man. 

Q. Why are all men obliged to conform their con- 
duct to that of our Lord ? 

A. All men are obliged to conform their conduct to 
that of our Lord, because he is the model of all men, of 
whom some command and others obey. 

Q. Is our Lord the model of superiors ? 

A. Our Lord is the model of superiors, and his mor- 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 229 

tal and eucharistic life is comprised in these few 
words : He went about doing gcod. 

Q. Is our Lord the model of inferiors ? 

A. Our Lord is also the model of inferiors, and his 
mortal and eucharistic life is comprised in these three 
words : He was obedient, 

Q. Is our Lord also the model of men in the fulfil- 
ment of their duties to God ? 

A Our Lord is the model also of men in the fulfil- 
ment of their duties to God, and his whole life is com- 
prised in these words : He loved God his Father, and 
was obedient unto him, even to the death of the cross, 

Q. Is our Lord the model of men in the discharge of 
their duties towards their fellow-men ? 

A. Our Lord is the model of men in the discharge of 
their duties towards their fellow-men, and his whole 
life is comprised in these words : He hath loved us and 
delivered himself up for us, 

Q. Is our Lord our model, in the accomplishment of 
our duties to ourselves ? 

A. Our Lord is our model in the accomplishment of 
our duties to ourselves. He has given us during his 
mortal life, and still gives us in the Eucharist, the ex- 
ample of humility, purity and detachment. 

Q. Is our Lord the model of all ages ? 

A. Our Lord is the model of all ages. In his early 
infancy he consecrates himself to God, his father, in 
the temple of Jerusalem ; in his youth he labors and is 
obedient; in his mature age he occupies himself in 
prayer and for the glory of his father ; before dying he 
gives his last instructions to his apostles, and yields his 
soul into the hands of his father. 

Q. Is our Lord the model of the different states and 
!Conditions ? 

A. Our Lord is the model of the different states and 
^conditions. As each creature represents some one of 
[the perfections of God, it is his wish that each state 
Hshall represent some of his qualities and virtues. 
20 



230 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. How do you explain this by examples? 

A. He wishes that priests should represent his holi- 
ness, rulers his authority, the married couple his love 
for his church, parents his divine paternity, the poor 
his poverty, virgins his virginity, and those who suf- 
fer, his virtues in the midst of the persecutions he en- 
dured. 

Q. Is our Lord the model of all our actions ? 

A. Our Lord is the model of all our actions, and his 
life is comprised in these words, which ought to be said 
of each of us : He did all things well. 



CHAPTER L. 

Obstacles to our union with our Lord, the new Mam. 

Q. What is it that prevents our union with the new 
AdaM ? 

A One only thing can prevent our union with the 
new Adam — sin. 

Q. What is sin and how many kinds are there ? 

A. Sin is a willful disobedience to the law of God. 
Disobedience to our lawful superiors, when their com- 
mand is just, is also a sin, for God wills that we obey 
them. There are two kinds of sin, Original Sin, in 
which we are born, and Actual Sin, which we commit 
ourselves. 

Q. How is actual sin divided ? 

A. Actual sin is divided into mortal and venial. 
Mortal sin is that which kills the soul, by depriving us 
of the grace of God. 

Q. Is mortal sin a great evil ? 

A. Mortal sin is the greatest of evils or rather the 
only evil, since it is a revolt against and a monstrous 
ingratitude towards God, and prevents us from attaining 
our last end. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 231 

Q. What are the consequences of mortal sin ? 

A. The consequences of mortal sin are : on earth, 
the loss of ,2:race, loss of all past merits, and remorse ; 
and in eternity the loss of heaven. 

Q. What are its punishments ? 

A. The punishments of mortal sin are, in this world, 
all the evils that desolate the earth ; and in eternity, 
bell. 

Q. What is venial sin ? 

A. Venial sin is a sin that does not kill the soul, 
nor deserve hell. It is called venial, that is, pardona- 
ble, because it is the less unworthy of pardon than 
mortal sin. 

Q. What are the consequences of venial sin ? 

A. The consequences of venial sin are, that it weak- 
ens grace in us, saddens the Holy Ghost, deprives us of 
certain special aids, leads to mortal sin, brings down 
severe chastisements, as we see by the sacred writings. 

Q. What are capital sins? 

A. Capital sins are those which give rise to many 
others. There are seven : pride, covetousness, lust, 
anger, gluttony, envy and sloth. 

Q. What are the remedies for these sins ? 

A. The principal remedies for the capital sins are: 
for pride, humility and prayer ; for covetousness, alms- 
giving ; for lust, confession and communion ; for glut- 
tony, nriortification ; for envy, disinterestedness; for 
anger, meditation on the passion of our Lord; for 
sloth, to think on the shortness of time. 
Q. Whence come all our sins ? 
A. All our sins come from our ungoverned passions. 
They are the tree, and sin is the fruit. There are three 
chief passions, love of honor, love of riches, and love 
bi pleasures. 

Q. Is it necessary to combat our passions ? 
A. It is as necessary as it is to be saved. It is in 
the time of youth especially that we must make war 
, against our passions. 



232 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE, 



CHAPTER LI. 

Of what perpetuates our union with the new Adam. 

The Church. 

Q. What did our Lord do before ascending into 
heaven ? 

A. Before ascending into heaven, our Lord thor- 
oughly instructed his apostles in the truths of religion, 
the continuance of which on earth till the end of the 
world, he guaranteed, by founding a church, for which 
his first act was to appoint a head. 

Q. Which of the apostles did our Lord choose for 
the head of the church ? 

A. Our Lord chose St. Peter as the head of the 
church. Before conferring on him this honor, he ex- 
acted a pledge from him. 

Q. What? 

A. A pledge of his love. He asked of him three 
times, if he loved him more than the others did ; that 
is, if he was ready to sacrifice himself for the salva- 
tion of his flock. St. Peter replied to him : Fes, Lord^ 
thou knowest that I love thee. Then our Lord said to 
him. Feed my lambs, feed my sheep, 

Q. What is the meaning of these words ? 

A. By the word lambs are understood the simplelfaith- 
ful; and by the word sheep all the pastors of the 
church. St. Peter was elevated above the apostles. 
The sovereign pontiffs, successors of St. Peter, are 
above the bishops, and have full power to teach and 
govern all the church. 

Q. What power did our Lord give to the other 
apostles ? 

A. Our Lord associated the other apostles in the 
government of the church, and gave them power to 
teach, baptize and forgive sins. He had already givea 
them power to consecrate his body and blood. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 233 

Q. What is meant by the teaching of Christ ? 

A. By the teaching church are meant the first pas- 
tors, St. Peter and the apostles, the pope and the 
bishops, their successors. They alone are the judges 
of faith, and are clothed with the power to make all 
laws necessary for the good of the faithful. 

Q. What are the principal laws or commandments 
of the church ? 

A. They are chiefly six: 1st, to hear mass and 
rest from servile works on Sundays and holy days 
of obligation ; 2d, to keep fast in lent, the ember 
days, the Fridays in advent, and eves of certain 
festivals ; to abstain from flesh on Fridays and other 
appointed days of abstinence ; 3d, to confess our 
sins to our pastor or other priest duly authorized at 
least once a year; 4th, to receive the blessed sacra- 
ment at Easter or thereabout; 5lh, to pay tithes to our 
pastors, and, 6th, not to marry within certain degrees of 
kindred ; nor privately without witnesses; nor to sol- 
emnize marriage at certain prohibited times. 

Q. Explain the third commandment of the church? 

A. In establishing the sacrament of penance, our 
Lord has obliged us to confess; our necessities make 
it a duty to frequent the confessional. But in order to 
guard us against our own negligence, the church has 
fixed a time beyond which we must not defer our con- 
fession. 

Q. Is it suflicient to confess once a year ? 

A. To avoid excommunication, it is sufl5cient to 
confess once a year ; but to profit by the sacraments 
and lead a stainless life, it is not sufficient. 

Q. Explain the 4th ? 

A. In instituting the Eucharist, our Lord has obliged 
us to communicale, for he said: Unless you eat the 
flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you shall 
not have life in ymji. And to put a barrier to our too 
great neglect, the church has commanded us under pain 
of mortal sin, to receive communion at least once a 
20* 



234 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

year, at Easter. She says, at least once a year, to 
show that she desires us to receive oftener. (The 
other commandments of the church are explained else- 
where.) 

Q What do you remark on the commandments of 
the church ? 

A. I remark on the commandments of the church: 
1st, that they are a proof of the great wisdom of the 
church and of her tender solicitude for her children ; 
2d, they are very advantageous to society, because 
they help us to keep the commandments of God, and 
oblige us every year to begin a new life ; 3d, they are 
very advantageous to each of us, because they oblige 
us to mortify our passions and quit the state of ^sin. 
. Q Is the church teaching infallible ? 

A. Yes she is infallible, that is, she can neither be 
deceived herself, nor deceive us, whilst she is teaching 
us the truths of religion. 

Q. How do you prove it ? 

A. Tt is proved specially by the words of our Lord, 
who has promised;to be with the church all days, even 
to the end of the world, and to teach her all truth. 

Q. With what sentiments should the infallibility of 
the church inspire us .? 

A. The infallibility of the church ought to inspire 
us with: 1st, great confidence, since in hearing the 
church we are sure that we cannot be deceived ; 2d, 
great gratitude, which should make us thank our God 
for having given infallibility to the church; 3d, great 
docility, we should obey the church as our Lord 
himself. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Of what perpetuates our union with our Lord, the new 

Mam. — The Church, continued. 

Q. What is the church ? 

A The church is the society of all the faithful, 



CATECHISxAI OF PERSEVERANCE. 235 

united by the profession of the one same faith, the 
participation in the same sacraments and by submis- 
sion to the same lawful pastors, chiefly to our holy 
father the pope. 

Q. Who are they that are not members of the 
church ? 

A. Infidels, heretics, schismatics, and rebellious 
Christians, whom the church cuts ofl from her body, 
by excommunication. 

Q. How many ways are there of belonging to the 
church ? 

A. There are two w^ays in which we can belong to 
the church, actually and virtually. We belong actually 
to the church when we exteriorly profess the faith of 
the church and submit to its pastors. A person be- 
longs virtually to the church and can be saved when, 
without any fault of his, he belongs to a society difler- 
ent from the true religion, provided he has true charity, 
desires to know the true religion, and does good 
according to his knowledge. 

Q. What are the marks of the true church } 

■A. There are four marks of the true church, pointed 
out by our Lord himself, unity, sanctity, catholicity 
and apostolicity. 

Q. What is meant by the unity of the church ? 

A. By the unity of the church is meant, that she 
has always taught the same faith, commanded the 
same duties, and held the same sacraments. 

Q. What is the sanctity or holiness of the church ? 

A. We mean that Jesus Christ, its head, is holy, its 
founders are holy, that she teaches truths and duties 
calculated to make us holy, and that God has wrought 
miracles to prove the holiness of the church. 

Q. How is the church catholic ? 

A. Because she teaches all the truths revealed by 
our Lord, without retrenching or altering any of them, 
and because she exists in all times and in all places. 

Q. How is the church apostolic } 

A. Because she comes down from the apostles, be- 



236 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

cause the doctrine which she teaches has been re- 
ceived from the apostles, because it is the apostles who 
founded the church, and who commissioned the bishops 
and pastors who govern it. 

Q. Which is the true church ? 

A. The Roman Catholic Church is the true church, 
because she alone is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. 
All the sects have sprung up since the time of the 
apostlesj'and have separated from the Roman Catholic 
Church. 

Q. Can you name two other great advantages to be 
found in the church ? 

A. Two other great advantages to be found in the 
church, are, the communion of saints and the forgive- 
ness of sins. 

Q. What is the communion of saints } 

A. The communion of saints is the union which ex- 
ists among the members of the church, who are on 
earth, in purgatory and in heaven ; so that all the 
spiritual goods of the church benefit each of the faithful. 

Q. What is the remission of sins ? 

A. The remission of sins is the power given to the 
church to forgive sins. This power is found only in 
the church, for it is only to the church that our Lord 
has said, Whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall he 
loosed also in heaven. 

Q. What did our Lord do, after having founded the 
church } 

A. After having founded the church, our Lord as- 
cended into heaven, to send the Holy Ghost who was 
to enlighten and guide the church till the end of the 
world. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 237 



COURSE THIRD. 

CHAPTER I. 

Christianity established — First Preaching of the 
.Apostles. — First Century, 

Q. What did the apostles do after the ascension of 
our Saviour ? 

A. After the ascension of our Saviour, the apostles 
returned to Jerusalem with the Blessed Virgin ; they 
entered into an upper chamber, to av^ait in prayer and 
meditation the descent of the Holy Ghost, whom they 
received on the day of Pentecost. 

Q. Recount the history of this miracle. 

A. About the ninth hour of the morning a great 
sound, as of a mighty wind, vi^as heard throughout the 
whole house where the apostles were assembled; at the 
same time there appeared tongues, as of fire, which 
rested on the head of each of the apostles; imme- 
diately they began to speak divers tongues ; and being 
changed into new men, full of zeal and courage, they 
went forth to preach Jesus crucified. 

A multitude of people having learned what had 
happened, came together into the upper chamber; 
there were among them men of all nations, who all 
understood the apostles, each one hearing his own 
native tongue ; this miracle, with the discourse of St. 
Peter, converted on the spot three thousand persons. 

Q. What did the apostles then do ? 

A. The apostles baptized the new converts ; and 
Peter and John went up to the temple, where they 
found a man, about forty years of age, lame from his 
birth, who asked of them alms. 

Q. What was St. Peter's reply ? 

A. St. Peter said to him : Gold or silver 1 have none. 



238 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

but what I have, I give unto thee ; in the name of Jesus 
cf JS*azareth, arise and ivalk. And the lame man 
looked up, and was healed; and he entered, full of 
joy, into the temple with the apostles. St. Peter 
again preached, and this second discourse converted 
five thousand persons. 

Q. What did the chief priests do ? 

A. The chief priests and all the synagogues, alarmed 
at the progress of the gospel, caused the apostles to 
be apprehended and beaten with rods ; forbidding' them 
to preach in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. The 
apostles answered that they ought to obey God rather 
than man, and continued their mission; this so exas- 
perated the Jews, that they stoned St. Stephen to death. 

Q. What was the consequence of this persecution ? 
, A. It caused the gospel to be carried into other 
countries ; for some of the disciples went into Samaria, 
and some into Judea, where they made a great number 
of conversions. 

Q. What were the conversions by the deacon, St. 
Philip ? 

A. The principal were those of Simon, the ma- 
gician, whom he converted in Samaria; and of the 
minister of the queen of Ethiopia, who had gone up 
to Jerusalem to worship the true God. 

Q. What did Simon, the magician, do.? 

A. St. Peter and St. John having gone down to 
Samaria to give confirmation to the new converts, 
Simon, the magician, wished to purchase from them 
the power of giving the Holy Ghost. For this he 
was reproved by St. Peter ; but instead of repenting, 
he became a special enemy of the apostles. 

Q. Who was the most ardent persecutor of the 
church at this time } 

A. The most ardent persecutor of the church was a 
young man named Saul. Having learned that there 
were many Christians at Damascus, he obtained of the 
high priests power to have them arrested, and brought 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 239 

in shains to Jerusalem ; and set out for that purpose, 
with a number of officers under his orders. 

Q. What happened to him on the way ? 

A. On the way he was suddenly surrounded by a 
bright light from heaven, and was cast prostrate on the 
ground, when a voice was heard, that said to him : 
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Saul, being 
much frightened, said : JVho art thou. Lord? and the 
voice said : / am Jesus of JSazare'h whom thou per- 
secutest. Saul said : What wilt thou have me do. 
Lord? and the voice answered : Go to Damascus, and 
there it shall he told thee what thou must do. He arose, 
went to Damascus, and was there baptized. 



CHAPTER II. 

Christianity estahlhhed, — Lives of St, Peter and 
St. Paul. — First Century. * 

Q. What did the apostles do after having preached 
the gospel in Judea? 

A. The apostles, after having preached the gospel 
in, Judea, divided the whole world among themselves, 
in order to convert it to Jesus Christ. 

Q. Give some account of St. Peter. 

A. St. Peter was at Joppa when the Lord made 
known to him that the Genhles also were called to the 
gospel, and that it was himself, who, as chief head of 
the church, w^as to open the way to them. 

Q. Who was the first convert amon^ the Gentiles? 

A. The first convert among the Gentiles was a 
Roman officer, named Cornelius, who was then at 
Caesarea. He was a man fearing God, and doing 
much charity : he sent for St. Peter, who came and 
baptized him and his whole house. 

Q. Where did St. Peter go when he left Caesarea ? 

A. He went to Antioch, the capital of Syria, and 



240 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

there established his see ; he afterwards traveled over 
a great portion of Asia and came to Rome, where he 
contended against Simon, the magician, whom the 
devil had instigated to go to Rome to oppose the 
preaching of the gospel ; he succeeded in putting 
down the magician ; converted many persons, and then 
returned to the east. 

Q. What did he do at Jerusalem ? 
A. He presided over the council at Jerusalem; at 
which all the apostles attended. This was the first coun- 
cil, and the model on which have been formed all the 
councils that have been held in the church. It was 
decided in this council that the Gentile converts should 
not be forced to observe the laws of Moses, command- 
ing circumcision. 

Q. How many epistles did St. Peter write .^ 
A. St. Peter wrote to the faithful, who were scat- 
tered through the different provinces of the Roman 
empire, two letters, which breathed the tenderness of a 
father and the dignity of the head of the church ; he 
afterwards went to Rome, where the crown of martyr- 
dom awaited him ; an honor shared with him by St. 
Paul, who had also shared with him the labor of 
preaching the gospel. 
Q. Who was St. Paul? 

A. St. Paul, whose name was Saul, was of Jewish 
origin ; born at Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, and a Roman 
citizen ^by birth. After having persecuted the Chris- 
tians, he became the most zealous of th.e apostles, and 
preached the gospel first at Damascus, whence he was 
obliged to fly, to escape the fury of the Jews w^ho had 
resolved to kill him. 
Q. Whither did he go ? 

A. He repaired to Jerusalem, where he saw St. 
Peter; thence he went to Antioch, where he remained 
one year in company with St. Barnabas. These two 
apostles made so many conversions at Antioch, that 
the faithful there received the name of Christians* 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 241 

From Antioch, they went to the isle of Cyprus, where 
the governor, Sergius Paulus, having been converted 
by St. Paul, this apostle, in memory thereof, took the 
name of Paul. 

Q. What else? 

A. Accompanied by St. Barnabas, he traveled all 
through Asia Minor, and arrived at Lystra, where he 
cured a man who had been lame from his birth. The 
inhabitants, who were pagans, seeing this miracle, 
thought the apostles were gods, and wished to ofier 
sacrifices to them. 

Q. What happened to St. Paul in the city of 
Philippi ? 

A. Having arrived at Philippi, a city of Macedonia, 

in company with a disciple named Silas, he drove the 

devil out of a female slave who was possessed. The 

masters of the slave were much exasperated ; for she, 

by pretending to be a fortune-teller, was a source of 

I great gain to them. They caused Paul and Silas to be 

I beaten with rods, and then thrown into prison, under 

I the pretext that they were disturbers of the public 

peace. 

During the night the foundations of the prison were 
shaken ; the gates thrown open, and the chains of the 
prisoners fell from their limbs. The jailor, thinking 
that the prisoners had all escaped, was about to kill 
himself, but St. Paul prevented him, saying : We are 
all here. The jailor and his whole family were con- 
I verted ; and the next day St. Peter and Silas were set 
iat liberty, having converted a great number of persons 
jin the city. 

CHAPTER III. 

Christianity established. — Life of St, Paul continued. 
First Century. 
Q. Continue the history of St Paul. 
A. On quitting the city of Philippi, St. Paul went to 
\ 21 



242 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Thessalonica, where he established a 'congregation of 
Christians, to whom, some time after, he wrote one of 
his epistles. He thence came to Athens ; appeared 
before the senate called the Areopagus, refuted the 
false principles of the philosophers; confounded 
idolatry ; and shortly after started for Corinth, 

Q,. Did he remain long at Corinth ? 

A. He remained there eighteen months, gatherino: to 
the true faith a large number of Christians, to whom 
he wrote two epistles, replete with all that zeal, charity 
and prudence which so characterized that great apostle. 
From Corinth he passed to Ephesus. 

Q. What happened to him at Ephesus ? 

A. At Ephesus he was the object of a violent 
sedition, excited by a goldsmith, who made statues of 
Diana; previous to his leaving the city, however, 
St. Paul wrote his admirable letter to the faithful at 
Rome. Quitting Ephesus, he directed his course to 
Jerusalem, carrying with him to the faithful of that 
city the charitable contributions of their brethren, dis- 
persed through Asia. On his way he passed through 
Troas, 

Q. What miracle did he perform at Troas ? 

A. Whilst preaching at this place, a young man, 
who was seated in a window, fell asleep, and fell from 
the third story and was killed. St. Paul restored him 
to life, and then started for Miletus. 

Q. What did he do at Miletus.? 

A. He there assembled the bishops and the pastors 
of the church of Ephesus, to whom he bade farewell ; 
telling them they should see him no more. All 
melted into tears, and conduGted him to the vessel on 
which he embarked for Jerusalem. 

Q. What happened to him at Jerusalem .' 

A. He was apprehended in the temple by the Jews, 
and delivered up to the Roman governor, v/ho sent 
him to Rome to be judged at the tribunal of Nero. At 
Rome, St. Paul remained two years in prison, preaching 
the gospel to all who visited him. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 243 

Q. Did he obtain his liberty ? 

A. He finally obtained his liberty, went back to the 
east, wrote to the churches and to his disciples, Titus 
and Timothy, and then returned with St. Peter to 
Rome. These two apostles filled the city with Chris- 
tians, and even the palace of Nero, who could not 
bear with a religion so holy as that of Christianity. 

Q. What did Nero do ? 

A. He condemned to death the two apostles ; who 
received the crown of maityrdom a short distance from 
the city. St. Peter was crucified with his head down ; 
but St. Paul, being a Roman citizen, was beheaded. 
This glorious martyrdom occurred on the 29th of 
June, in the year 66 after Christ. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Christianity established. — Lives of the other Jljpostles, 

First Century. 

Q. Who was St. Andrew ? 

A. St. Andrew was the brother of St. Peter; he 
was received into the number of the apostles by our 
Saviour, himself. After Pentecost, he carried the 
g:ospel into Asia Minor and the country of the 
Scythians, and was afterwards crucified in the city of 
Patros. 

Q. Who was St. James, the greater? 

A. St. James, surnamed the greater, was brother to 
St. John the Evangelist, and son of Salome, the first 
cousin of the Blessed Virgin. After Pentecost, he 
preached the gospel to the twelve tribes dispersed in 
different countries, and penetrated as far as Spain. He 
then returned to Jerusalem, where he was beheaded 
by order of Herod Agrippa, whose crime did not re- 
main long unpunished, for he soon after died devoured 
by worms. 



244 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Who was St. John? 

A. St. John was the youngest of the apostles, and 
especially beloved by our Saviour. After Pentecost, 
he preached the gospel to the Parthians, a w^arlike 
nation, which alone disputed with the Romans the 
empire of the world. The saint returned into Asia 
Minor, and fixed his residence in the city of Ephesus. 

Q. What happened to him there ? 

A. The emperor Domitian had him apprehended 
and conducted to Rome, where he was thrown into a 
caldron of boiling oil, from which he escaped unhurt 
The tyrant then banished him to the isle of Patmos, 
where he wrote his Apocalypse or revelation of the 
things to come in the course of ages. He afterwards 
returned to Ephesus and wrote his Gospel, for the 
purpose of showing the divinity of our Saviour. He 
also wrote three letters to the faithful, and finally died, 
aged about one hundred years. 

Q. Who was St. James the less ? 

A, St. James the less was the son of Alpheus and 
of Mary, a near relative of the Blessed Virgin. Before 
the ascension, our Saviour commended to him the 
church of Jerusalem. He was afterwards the first 
bishop of that church. He wrote a letter to all the 
churches, and was finally thrown from the height of 
the temple bv the Jews, in hatred of Christianity. 

Q. Who was St. Philip? 

A. St. Philip was of Bethsaida, in Galilee ; he was 
one of the first disciples of our Lord. After Pentecost, 
he set out for Phrygia, where he established Chris- 
tianity, and where he died at an advanced old age. 

Q. Who was St. Bartholomew ? 

A. St. Bartholomew was also of Galilee. After 
Pentecost, he directed his course towards the most bar- 
barous countries of the east, and penetrated to the 
farthest extremities of India. He then returned to 
Armenia, where he received the crown of martyrdom. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 245 

Q. Who was St. Matthew ? 

A. St. Matthew was a publican, and a collector of 
the revenues. He was converted by our Lord himself, 
and received into the number of the apostles. After 
Pentecost, he started for Africa, where he died. 

Q. Who was St. Simon ? 

A. St. Simon was of Cana, in Galilee. After Pen- 
tecost, he set out for Persia, where he was martyred 
by order of the idolatrous priests. 

Q. Who was St. jude? 

A. St. Jude, also called Thaddeus, was the brother of 
St. James the less.} After Pentecost, he went into 
Africa, and planted the faith in Lybia. He returned to 
Jerusalem, and afterwards died in Armenia. He 
wrote a letter, addressed to all the churches, to guard 
them against the heresies of the Nicolitesand Gnostics, 
then beginning to spring up. 

Q. Who was St. Thomas? 
' A. St. Thomas was also of Jewish origin. After 
the resurrection, he was permitted by our Lord to put 
his hand into his sacred wounds. He started after 
Pentecost for the east, and carried the gospel into 
Persia, Ethiopia and India, in which last he sealed 
with his blood the doctrine he had preached. 

Q. Who was St. Mathias ? 

A. St. Mathias was a disciple of our Lord, and was 
chosen by lot to replace Judas. History says nothing 
of his evangelical labors, nor of the manner of his 
death. 

Q. How many evangelists are there ? 

A. There are four evangelists ; St. Matthew, St. 
Mark, St. Luke and St. John. They are called evan- 
gelists, because they wrote the four Gospels, or life of 
our Lord. 
21* 



246 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 



CHAPTER V. 

Christianity established. — Manners of the Pagans. 

First Century. 

Q. What was the state of the world at the death of 
the apostles ? 

A. At the death of the apostles two great societies 
existed, watching each other, and on the eve of a 
mortal struggle ; one was the pagan, steeped in crime 
and profligacy ; the other was the Christian, youthful 
and brilliant with virtues. Rome was at that time the 
capital of the world and the centre of idolatry. 

Q. What do you say of Rome ? 

A. Rome was an immense city, containing nearly 
three millions of inhabitants ; each house was a mag- 
nificent palace, surrounded with porticoes and spacious 
gardens ; there were in the city eight hundred baths 
and four hundred and twenty temples, in which thirty 
thousand gods were adored. One of the amphitheatres 
could contain eighty-seven thousand spectators. There 
were twenty-nine highways leading from the city to 
the provinciBS ; all of them paved with slabs, and 
adorned on either side with tombs of marble, richly 
wrought with gold and bronze. ^ Her riches could not 
be estimated. 

Q. What were the religion and morals of the 
Romans ? 

A. The Romans having adopted the religions of the 
various countries they conquered, all the gross super- 
stitions and hideous divinities of the whole earth were 
found congregated in the city. Their morals were too 
shameful for description. Suffice it to say, that crimes 
the most revolting were authorized by religion, the 
silence of the law, or by custom, and were openly 
committed in the presence of every body, young or 
old, rich or poor. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 247 

Q. What were their laws ? 

A. Their laws were the laws of hatred and cruelty ; 
the most grievous oppression was inflicted on all whom 
they could oppress. 1st. On woman: she was the 
slave of her father, who could either kill her or sell 
her; in marrying, she became the slave of her husband, 
who could sell her or discard her at his pleasure. 2d. 
On children : the laws/ permitted their destruction 
before birth, and in certain cases, even ordered it; 
after their birth, it was lawful to expose them, kill 
them, or sell them ; they were chosen as the most ac- 
ceptable victims to be sacrificed to their false gods. 3d. 
On the slave: the slaves were sold like animals; 
were marked with red hot irons on their forehead; 
during the day they were hurried on by the lash ; 
and during the night they were chained under ground; 
for the slightest fault, or even carelessness, they were 
put to death. 4th. On the prisoners of war : some- 
times they were butchered on the tombs of the con- 
querors ; sometimes they were forced to slaughter one 
another in the amphitheatres to amuse the people ; 
in every instance they were reduced to slavery. 5th. 
On debtors : it was lawful for creditors to cut to 
pieces their insolvent debtors. 6th. On the poor : 
they were called impure animals, and their poverty in- 
sulted on every occasion. One of the emperors, to 
relieve the city of its poor, caused three vessels, 
crowded with them, to be sunk in the sea. Such was 
pagan Rome on St. Peter's arrival. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Christianity established, — Manners of the Christians, 
First Century, 

Q. Was there not another Rome besides pagan 
Rome .? 
A. Besides pagan Rome there was another, a sub- 



248 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

terranean Rome, inhabited by the first Christians. 
This subterranean Rome was the catacombs, which 
formed a city of many miles in extent, in w^hich were 
a great number of streets, crossing each other in 
various directions; a number of open squares, and a 
multitude of tombs. 

Q. What is the origin of the catacombs ? 

A. The word catacomb signifies under-ground or 
cemetery. This name was given to those vast excava- 
tions, from which the Romans obtained materials for 
building and other purposes. They served as a retreat 
for the first Christians in times of persecution ; here 
they concealed themselves, prayed, and oflered up the 
holy mysteries, either to prepare themselves for mar- 
tyrdom or to obtain the salvation of their persecutors. 
To encourage themselves to patience and confidence in 
God, they had painted or engraved the principal traits 
of the Scriptures analogous to their position, such as 
Daniel in the lionh den ; the three youths in the fiery 
furnace; our Saviour raising Lazarus tolife, ^c; also 
stags, doves and vines, as symbols of ardent desire, 
innocenee and charity. 

Q. Did the Christians remain long in the catacombs? 

A. The catacombs served as a place of refuge for 
the first Christians during the persecutions which 
lasted almost without intermission for three hundred 
years. When the persecutions ceased, they came up 
from their place of retreat and lived among the pagans. 
Here the life of our fathers was similar to that in the 
catacombs; a life of sanctity and innocence. To the 
pride of the pagan, they opposed humility, desiring 
neither riches nor change of condition. To the ex- 
travagance of the pagan, they opposed modesty and 
simplicity; especially in their dress and their furni- 
ture. To the profligacy of the pagans, they opposed 
tempeiance and fasting, observing frugality and 
moderation, not only at their ordinary meals, but even 
in their innocent festivities, which they called agapes. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 249 

Q. What were the agapes? 

A. The agapes were feasts of brotherly charity, 
given by the first Christians among themselves. The 
rich defrayed the expense ; the poor were invited, and 
all, without distinction, sat down and partook of the 
feast as children of the same family. The repast 
commenced and finished with prayer. 
r Q. What were their fasts ? 

A. Our fathers fasted not only in Lent, but on every 
Wednesday and Friday of each week. The church 
of Rome fasted on Saturday also, in commemoration 
of the triumph of St. Peter over Simon the magician. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Christianity established. — Manners of the Christians, 

Q. What did our fathers in the faith oppose to the 
shameful vices of the pagans ? 

A. To the shameful vices of the pagans, they op- 
posed angelic purity of life, a fact, which even their 
enemies were forced to admit. 

Q. What virtue did they oppose to the excessive^ 
love of gold which engrossed the hearts of the pagans ?' 
A. To the excessive love of gold of the pagans, our 
' fathers opposed detachment from earthly things, and 
! voluntary poverty. Satisfied with the necessaries of 
\ life, they gave up the surplus to comfort and support 
1 the poor, the orphan and the widow, and looked upon 
I riches as an obstacle to the true liberty of the soul. 

I Q. To all crimes in general what did they oppose? 
A. To all the crimes of the pagans they opposed a 

J life of prayer and holiness. They rose at day-light, 

I I their first act was the sign of the cross, and having 
[[dressed themselves with modesty, the whole family 

repaired to the room allotted for prayer, when the 
father said aloud the prayers. 



250 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. In what manner did they pray ? 

A. They prayed on their knees, with the head un- 
covered, their eyes raised to heaven, their arms extend- 
ed and their faces turned towards the east. 

Q. Where did they go after prayers ? 

A. After prayers they w^ent to the church to hear 
Mass, at w^hich they received Communion every day — 
they left the church with modesty and returned to their 
houses or went to their work. 

Q. By w^hat act did they commence their work ? 

A. They commenced their w^ork with the sign of 
the cross ; at nine o'clock they prayed again, and then 
continued their work till dinner, which they took at 
mid-day. Before feeding their bodies, they gave food 
to their souls by reading some passages from the Holy 
Scriptures, they then blessed the food they were about 
to take. During their meals sacred hymns were sung, 
a practice also observed whilst at their w^ork ; after 
dinner they again read from the Bible and returned 
cheerfully to their labor. 

Q. What good works did they perform after dinner .' 

A. After dinner those, who could do it, occupied 
themselves in different works of charity, such as visit- 
ing the poor and those of the brethren w^ho w^ere in 
prison for the faith. At three, they prayed again. 

Q. What did they do in the evening } 

A. In the evening the family being assembled, the 
parents instructed their children ; they then took sup- 
per, sang sacred hymns, read the Scriptures and said 
public prayers, after w^hich each one retired to rest, 
having first made the sign of the cross on his bed. 

Q. Did they pray during the night ? 

A. They rose at mid-night to pray. Such was the 
life led by our fathers; by imitating thpm, we also 
would become saints and cause our religion to be 
respected by bad Christians, as they caused it to be 
respected by the pagans. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 251 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Christianity established,. — Manners of the Christians, 

continued. — First Century. 

Q. What did our fathers oppose to the laws of ha- 
tred and cruelty which prevailed among the pagans ? 

A. To the law of hatred and cruelty which pre- 
vailed among the pagans, our fathers opposed the law 
of universal charity; they fulfilled to the letter the 
command of our Saviour: Thou shalt love thy neighbor 
as thyself. 

Q. Explain this answer. 

A. In the first place, fathers and mothers loved their 
children ; instead of destroying them either before or 
after their birth, they took the greatest care to preserve 
them ; they considered them as a sacred trust, and used 
every means to instruct them and form them to virtue. 

Q. What was their greatest care ? 

A. Their greatest care was to keep their children 
from evil company and dangerous books ; the Gospel 
was the only book they placed in their hands; they 
wished their children to be neat in their dress, but free 
from all extravagance and vanity. 

Q. Did fathers and mothers love each other also ? 

A. Fathers and mothers loved each other with a 
Christian love, which was manifested by a constant 
affability, affectionate kindness, unremitted attention, 
and above all, by frequent and unceasing prayers for 
the one who had not the happiness of being a Christian. 
The children imitated the example of their parents, 
they loved one another with the most sincere affection, 
they prayed together, and died side by side in the 
i amphitheatres. 

I Q. Did the first Christians all love one another ? 
I A. The first Christians so loved one another, that 
I the astonished pagans exclaimed, " See how they love 
one another, and how ready they are to die one for 
another." 



252 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. By what names did they call one another ? 

A. To show the tenderness of their charity, they 
called one another father, mother, brother, sister, son, 
daughter, showing thereby that they all constituted but 
one family. This spirit of charity was evinced even 
towards the most distant churches. 

Q. Who were the particular objects of their charity ? 

A. The particular objects of their charity were the 
ministers of the Lord, the poor, and above all, the 
Christians condemned to the mines on account of the 
faith. 

Q. Did our fathers in the faith love all men ? , 

A. Our fathers in the faith loved all men, even the 
pagans their persecutors; they extended to them all 
kinds of good offices, prayed for them, paid faithfully 
their taxes and acquitted themselves of all the duties of 
good soldiers and good citizens. They also extended 
their charity to the dead, to the burial of whom they 
paid a special attention — they washed the dead bodies, 
embalmed them and wrapped them up in fine linen and 
cloth of silk — they prayed for them and gave alms for 
the repose of their souls. 



CHAPTER IX. 
Christianity established. — First Century, 

Q.. How did our fathers in the faith arrive at so high 
a degree of sanctity ? 

A. Our fathers in the faith arrived at so high a de- 
gree of sanctity, by endeavoring to do well the actions 
of each day, by dividing their time between prayer, la- 
bor and works of charity, but especially by fleeing all 
the occasions of sin. 

Q. What were those occasions ? 

A. They were principally shows, dances and public 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 253 

festivals. Our fathers abstained from such places for 
the same reasons that made them keep their children 
away from them. 

Q. What were those reasons ? 
A 1st, the first Christians considered, and with good 
reason, shows, comedies and tragedies as a school of 
vice; they believed that Christians ought not to witness 
what they were forbidden to imitate, as it is difficult 
not to be carried away by our passions, when every 
thing around us contributes to inflame them ; 2d, they 
said that age was no excuse, because all are human 
and liable to fall at any age; that custom was no au- 
thority, because the customs of the world are no law 
for a Christian ; 3d, that by going to theatres we scan- 
dalize our neighbor ; and lastly, that if there were no 
spectators there would be no actors, 

Q What did they say of balls and public festivals ? 
A. They said the same; and when the pagans re- 
proached them for not attending, they replied by ask- 
ing, if the n»asters of the earth could not be honored 
except by excess of intemperance and offences against 
the Master of heaven. 

Q. Was this virtuous conduct pleasing to the 
pagans } 

A. This virtuous conduct was not more pleasing to 
t the pagans than is the conduct of the good to the bad 
' Christians of the present day. The Jews and idola- 
tters spread abroad many calumnies against our fathers 
ii^nd against religion. 
j Q. Who refuted ihem ? 

j A. The apologists for religion refuted them with 
isloquence, whilst the virtuous lives of the Christians 
refuted them still more effectually; but instead of 
I fielding to conviction, their enemies began to perse- 
'cute the Christians, and millions of victims were 
jsacrificed through hatred for their religion. 
' Q. What were these victims called ? 

A. They were called martyrs, that is, witnesses. 
22' 



254 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

This name is given to Christians who die for the faith ; 
the number of martyrs during the first four ages is 
incalculable. 

Q. What do you say of martyrdom? 

A. It is a two-fold proof of the truth of religion. 
1st. It is a proof of the truth of religion, because it is 
the accomplishment of a prophecy of our Saviour, 
who had announced to his disciples that they would 
be put to death on account of his doctrine. 2d. Mar- 
tyrdom affords another proof of the truth of religion 
in the constancy wnth which the martyrs endured their 
torments; for it is surely a miracle, that millions of 
virtuous persons, of every age, sex, condition and 
country, should without complaint or murmur, calmly 
suflfer every species of torment for three hundred 
years. 

Q. What do you mean by the acts of the martyrs ? 

A. I mean the accounts of their trial before the 
judges; the questions put to them; their condemnation, 
punishment and death. 

Q. How did the Christians procure the acts of the 
martyrs? 

A. They obtained them in two ways : 1st, by pay- 
ing the clerks of the courts for permission to transcribe 
them; 2d, by mingling, without being known, among 
the pagans, whenever a martyr was on his trial, and 
afterwards writing down whatever passed. 

Q. What care did the Christians take of the martyrs ? 

A. They took the most sedulous care of them while 
in prison ; and after their death, they buried them with 
great respect, and offered up on their tombs the holy 
sacrifice, not indeed to the martyrs, but to God, who 
had so gloriously crowned them. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 255 



CHAPTER X. 

Christianity established. — First and second PersecU' 
tions. — First Century. 

Q. How many general persecutions of Ihe Chris- 
tians were there ? 

A. There were ten sjeneral persecutions of the 
Christians. They are called general persecutions be- 
cause ordered by the Roman emperors, then masters of 
the greatest part of the world. 

Q. Who was the first Roman emperor who perse- 
cuted the Christians? 

A. The first Roman emperor who persecuted the 
Christians was Nero, in the 64th year after Christ. 
Nero having set fire to, and burnt the city of Rome, 
that he might witness a great conflagration, accused 
the Christians of having done it, and on that account 
put a great number of them to death. 

Q. What kind of punishments did be make them 
endure ? 

A. Some were covered with the skins of wild 
beasts, and dogs were set on them to worry them and 
tear them to pieces ; others were enveloped in a cov- 
ering of pitch and wax, they were then set on fire and 
stationed through the city in the place of lamps, to 
light it up during the night. It was during this per- 
secution that St. Peter and St. Paul suffered martyr- 
dom, as also one of Nero's principal olficers, named 
Tropeus. 
u Q. Did God leave the cruelty of Nero unpunished ? 

A. God did not leave the cruelty of Nero unpun- 
ished; the Romans revolted against him, and he was 
obliged to hide himself in a marsh, where he prevailed 
on one of his men to put him to death. This tragical 
end, and that of all the persecutors, show us how con- 
tinually God watches over his church. 



258 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

: Q. What other example have you ? 

A. Another proof of God's constant watching over 
his church, is the ruin of Jerusalem ; which, after 
having crucified the Saviour, never ceased to persecute 
his disciples. It was besieged by Titus, the son of the 
emperor Vespasian, in the 70th year after Christ. 

Q, What signs preceded the destruction of Jerusa- 
lem ? 

A. The most terrible signs preceded the destruction 
of Jerusalem. A comet, in the form of a sword, re 
mained suspended during a whole year over this un- 
fortunate city ; and a man, named Jesus, never ceased, 
during four years, to travel the whole city, crying, 
night and day, through every street, " Wo to Jeiusa- 
lem /" *^ Wo to the Temple P^ " Wo to the people /'' 

Q. Why were all these signs ? 

A. God caused these signs to appear in order to ac- 
complish the predictions of our Saviour, and to warn 
the Christians to leave Jerusalem. 

Q. What happened to the Jews ? 

A. During the siege, Jerusalem was divided into dif- 
ferent opposing parties ; the Jews butchered one an- 
other; the city presented a picture of hell itself; 
famine raged [to such an extent, that a mother ate the 
flesh of her own son. 

Q. How was the city taken ? 

A. On the 10th of August Titus advanced as far as 
the front of the temple, the burning of which he had 
forbidden; but a brand, thrown by a soldier, set it on 
fire and reduced it to ashes; after which the conqueror 
leveled the city and passed a plough over it. 

Q. Who was the second Roman emperor who 
persecuted the Christians ^ 

A. The second Roman emperor w^ho persecuted the 
Christians was Domitian, brother of Titus, to whom he 
succeeded in the 81st year of Christ. He put his own 
relations to death for being Christians, and caused St. 
John the Evangelist to be thrown into a caldron of 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 257 

boiling oil. God punished the tyrant. Tormented 
day and night by remorse, he was assassinated in the 
96th year after Christ; deprived of every mark of 
honor, and even of burial. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Christianity established. — Third and fourth Persecu- 
tions. — First and second Centuries. 

Q. How was the church attacked after the persecu- 
tion of Domitian ? 

A. After the persecution of Domitian, the church 
was attacked by the spirit of party; the demon, seeing 
that he could not conquer the church by causing her 
children to be put to death, endeavored to divide them; 
a contest arose among the faithful at Corinth ; but the 
Pope, St. Clement, wrote them a letter, which restored 
union, at that time so necessary to the church, as 
another persecution was approaching. 

Q. What persecution ? 

A. The persecution of Trajan. This emperor, given 
up to the most shameful vices, hated the Christians, 
whose holy lives were a constant censure upon his 
own. Having arrived at Antioch, he ordered all the 
Christians to sacrifice to the gods, under pain of death, 
and caused St. Ignatius to be apprehended. 

Q. Who w^as St. Ignatius .=* 

A, St. Ignatius, disciple of St. John, was bishop of 
Antioch for forty years ; he was carried before the 
emperor, who ordered him to be transported to Rome, 
to be devoured by wild beasts at the public shows, for 
the amusement of the people. 

Q. What did he do during his voyage ? 

A. On his voyage, he saw at Smyrna St. Polycarp, 
who was also a disciple of St. John ; he saw, also, 
22* 



258 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

many other bishops, v?ho had come to tender him the 
good wishes of iheir churches. From Smyrna he 
wrote to the faithful at Rome, to entreat them not to 
ask for his life, neither from men nor by their prayers 
from God. 

Q. What kind of martyrdom did he suffer ? 

A. Having arrived at Rome on the 20th of Decem- 
ber, the saint was immediately conducted to the amphi- 
theatre, where two lions rushing upon him devoured 
him in an instant; his bones were gathered up in 
great respect, and carried back to Antioch in triumph. 

Q. What was the end of Trajan ? 

A. Trajan died miserably at a premature age, worn 
out by his shameful vices. Thus perished all the 
persecutors of the Christians ; their deplorable end, 
which shows us that men cannot, with impunity, rebel 
against Jesus Christ, contributed to the establishment 
of his church, by teaching men to fear him. 

Q. Who was ihe fourth persecutor of the Christians.' 

A. The fourth persecutor of the Christians was 
Adrian; he had succeeded Trajan in the 114lh year 
after Christ; he was a cruel, superstitious, and profli- 
gate prince; having consulted the demons, they re- 
plied that a certain widow, named Symphorosa, wa^ 
tormenting them unceasingly. 

Q. What did the tyrant do ? 

A. The tyrant caused Symphorosa to appear before 
him. She had seven sons, Christians, like herself; her 
husband, and her brother-in-law, officers in the army 
of the emperor, had already suffered martyrdom. 
Adrian ordered her to sacrifice to the gods; she refused, 
and the tyrant put her and her seven sons to death. 

Q Did any one undertake the defence of the 
Christians? 

A. Quadratus, bishop of Athens, and Aristides, an 
Athenian philosopher, presented to the emperor, a 
defence of the Christians. Adrian was convinced of 
the injustice of his course, and the persecution ceased. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 259 

Nevertheless, the wrath of God fell heavily upon 
him ; a prey to grievous melancholy, he caused him- 
self to be put to death. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Christmnity established. — Fifth and sixth Persecu- 
tions. — Second Century. 

Q. Which was the fifth general persecution ? 

A. The fifth general persecution was that of An- 
toninus; this prince, given up to shameful vices, per- 
mitted a great number of Christians to be put to death, 
although he issued no new edicts against them. The 
principal victim of this persecution was a Roman 
matron, named Felicitas, together with her seven sons. 
Publius, the Roman prefect, caused this virtuous 
family to be apprehended ; and not succeeding in 
making them renounce the faith, he put them to death 
by the most horrible torments. 

Q What defender of the church did God raise up 
at this time ? 

A. God, who never fails to watch over his church, 
raised up for her a glorious defender. This w'as JSt. 
Justin, who refuted so effectually all the calumnies of 
the Jews and pagans against our holy religion, that 
the emperor put a stop to the persecution; but he died 
shortly after, and his successor renewed the war 
against the Christians. 

Q Which was the sixth general persecution ? 

A. The sixth general persecution was that of Mar- 
cus Aurelius. The pride and craftiness of this prince 
i rendered him worthy of being an enemy to the truth. 
St. Justin, although he foresaw that it would cost him 
J his life, addressed to the emperor a second apology; 
' the saint was not mistaken, he was immediately 
' beheaded. 



260 CATECHISBI OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Who were the other victims of this perse- 
cution ? 

A. There were a great many. The first was St. 
Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna. He was a disciple of 
St. John, with whom he had Hved a long time; when 
the persecution commenced, his friends advised him to 
quit the city; he yielded to their counsel, and retired 
to a house a short distance in the country. 

Q. What happened to him ? 

A. He was soon discovered and apprehended; to the 
officers who came to seize him, he gave both food and 
drink ; they carried him to Smyrna, and conducted 
him to the amphitheatre into the presence of the pro- 
consul. 

Q. What did the pro-consul say to him ? 

A. The pro-consul said to him, "Blaspheme Jesus 
Christ." Polycarp made this beautiful reply : " It is 
now 86 years that 1 serve him, he has never done me 
any harm ; on the contrary, he has loaded me with 
favors; how can \ blaspheme my King and my 
Saviour?" 

Q What did the pro-consul then do ? 

A. The pro-consul ordered him to be burnt alive; 
but the flames did him no harm ; on the contrary, they 
separated, forming a bow, and resembling the sail of a 
vessel distended by the wind, they extended over his 
head a beautiful arch which protected him. The pro- 
consul seeing this miracle, ordered him to be struck 
with a dagger; the blood gushed out in such a quan- 
tity, that it extinguished the fire. It was thus St. 
Polycarp crowned his sacrifice on the 25th of April, 
at 2 o'clock in the evening, in the 166th year alter 
Christ. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 261 



CHAPTER XIII. ^ 

Christianity established, — Sixth Persecution, 
Second Century, 

Q. On what occasion did Marcus Aurelius give the 
Christians some respite ? 

A. Marcus Aurelius gave the Christians some 
respite on the occasion of the miracle of the thunder- 
ing legion. He was waging war against the people of 
Germany ; his army was caught in a defile, and 
hemmed in on every side by the enemy ; the heat was 
excessive, and the Roman army on the point of 
perishing with thirst. 

Q. How were they saved ? 

A. The thundering legion, composed of Christians, 
fell upon their knees, and by their fervent prayers 
obtained an abundant rain, sufficient for the whole 
army and for their beasts; at the same time hail, 
mingled with thunder, fell in torrents upon the enemy, 
who fled in disorder, throwing away their arms. 

Q,. Did Marcus Aurelius show his gratitude for 
this ? 

A. Marcus Aurelius, to testify his gratitude, put a 
stop to the persecution ; and to perpetuate the remem- 
brance of this miracle, raised at Rome a monument, 
which still exists. But shortly after, instigated by the 
'-devil, he renewed the persecution against the Christians. 
'' Q. Where was this new persecution the most 
violent } 

A. This new persecution was the most violent in 
Gaul. The city of Lyons was flooded with the blood 
of the martyrs. The principal martyrs were St. 
Pothin, bishop of Lyons; over ninety years of age, 
he was seized, mal -treated, and thrust into a narrow 
prison, where he died two days after ; also Maturus 
and Sanctus, who, after having been exposed to the 



262 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

fury of the beasts for the amusement of the people, 
were placed in a chair of iron, heated red hot, and 
beheaded. The other principal martyrs were Attala, 
Alexander, Blandina, and Ponticus, a youth of fifteen. 

Q. Who was Blandina? 

A. Blandina was a female slave, very timid, and of 
a delicate constitution; but the Saviour endowed her 
with such fortitude, that she fatigued her very execu- 
tioners. To every question put to her, she simply 
replied: ^' I am a Christian; no crime is committed 
amongst usV 

Q. [n what manner did she finally receive the 
crown of martyrdom ? 

A. She was exposed in a sack of net-work to a 
furious cow, which tossed her in the air, and greatly 
mangled her whole body; after which she was put to 
death. Ponticus, encouraged by St. Blandina, bravely 
underwent the various degrees of martyrdom, and 
consummated his sacrifice by the sword. 

Q. Were there other martyrs in Gaul } 

A. There were other martyrs in Gaul. The city 
of Autun witnessed the death of St. Symphorian, a 
young man distinguished not less by his birth than by 
his learning and his excellent qualities. Heraclius, the 
governor of the province, had him apprehended, and 
demanded of him what was his profession and his 
name. He replied , " I am a Christian." The gov- 
ernor employed caresses, promises and threats, by 
turns, to make him sacrifice to the gods ; but finding 
all his efforts useless, he commanded his head to be 
struck off 

Q. What happened to the saint whilst he was con- 
ducted to execution .' 

A. Whilst he was conducted to execution, his 
mother, more venerable for her virtue than for her age, 
cried aloud to him from the walls of the city: " Sym- 
phorian, my son, look up to heaven, have courage, 
and fear not death, which is the way to eternal l-fe.V 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 203 

Q. Had religion to encounter other enemies? 

A. Religion had other enemies to encounter. The 
philosophers and heretics leagued together against her. 
But God was her support ; she spread over the whole 
earth, notwithstanding all the obstacles opposed to her 
progress. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Christianity established. — Seventh Persecution, 
Third Century, 

Q. How did the third century commence? 

A. The third century commenced with a still more 
violent and general war against the church. The 
philosophers and heretics united with the executioners 
for its destruction. But God provided for its defence; 
to the philosophers and heretics he opposed two able 
apologisis ; to the persecutors, a multitude of martyrs. 
The two great apologists were TertuUian and Origen. 

Q. Who was TertuUian ? 

A. TertuUian was a priest of Carthage; he was 
born in that city in the year 160 after oui Saviour; he 
was the son of a centurion. On his arrival at Rome, 
he published his Apologetic, that is, a defence of the 
Christians; and laid it before the magistrates of the 
empire. This work gave the death blow to paganism. 

Q. What work did he publish against heretics? 

A. After having confounded the pagans, TertuUian 
turned his pen against heretics, and refuted all heresies, 
past, present and future, in a work entitled Pre- 
scriptions. 

(J. By what reasoning? 

A By this simple reasoning: The true church must 

■. ascend without interuption up to Jesus Christ ; hut the 

Catholic Church ahne does ascend w thout interruption 

t ttp to J sus Christ ; therefore the Catholic Church ahne 

, w the true church. 



264 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Did Tertullian persevere ? 

A. Tertullian had the misfortune finally to fall into 
considerable errors ; but this does not detract from the 
truth and merit of his works written before his fall. 

Q. Who was Origen. 

A. Origen was born at Alexandria, in the year 185 
of our Saviour; he was the son of the holy martyr 
Leonidas. Devoted early to study, and gifted with a 
powerful genius, he became one of the most brilliant 
lights of the church ; he triumphantly refuted Celsus, 
one of the most dangerous enemies of religion. Ori- 
gen also fell into some errors, but it appears that he 
did not continue in them. 

Q. Which was the seventh general persecution .' 

A. The seventh general persecution was that of Sep- 
timius Severus. From the beginning of the year 200, 
this cruel prince published an edict of proscription, and 
blood flowed freely in every part of the empire. 

Q. Who were the first martyrs of this persecution ? 

A. The first martyrs of this persecution were St. 
Perpetua and St Felicitas, and their companions. — 
These saints were of Carthage. Perpetua, aged 22, 
was of a noble family, married, and mother of an in- 
fant which she herself nursed at the time. Felicitas 
was a slave and also married ; they were apprehended 
by order of the pro-consul Hilarian. 

Q. What did the father of St. Perpetua do.^ 

A. The father of St. Perpetua, who was a heathen, 
went immediately and implored her to renounce her 
faith and not cause him to die of grief ; the pro-consul 
also joined in his entreaties ; her only answer was, ** 1 
am a Christian." 

Q. What happened then .? 

A. The martyrs were conducted to prison, where the 
jailor, touched by their virtues, was converted. The 
eve of their death they were allowed a free supper — 
this was a repast given to the martyrs in a hall open 
to the public. A great number of persons assembled 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 265 

in the hall, the martyrs addressed them with great 
piety and firmness, and many were converted. 

Q. What punishment did these martyrs suffer? 

A. On the morrow the holy martyrs were conducted 
to the amphitheatre, where three of them were ex- 
posed to wild beasts ; St. Perpetua and St. Felicitas 
were enclosed in sacks of net-work and exposed to a 
furious cow, which tossed and bruised them horribly ; 
but the people, wishing to enjoy the death of the mar- 
tyrs, demanded that they should be put to death in the 
amphitheatre. The sainted martyrs received the blow 
of death without a murmur, and without the slightest 
emotion. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Christianity estahlished. -^Eighth and ninth persecu* 
iions. — Third Century. 

Q. Who was the author of the eighth general per- 
secution ? 

A. The author of the eighth general persecution was 
Decius The most illustrious martyr during this per- 
secution was St. Pionius of Smyrna ; he was a priest, 
and a disciple of St. Polycarp. To all the questions 
of the judge he simply replied : *'I am a Christian and 
a child of the Catholic Church.-' 

Q. What torments had he to suffer } 

A. After suffering all kinds of torments, he was 
condemned to be burnt alive; but having prayed, he 
quietly expired without so much as a single hair of his 
•body burnt. 

Q Who were some of the other martyrs ? 

A. During this persecution occurred the martrydom 

of a child named Cyril, who in ascending the pile on 

which he was to be burnt, asked the attendants to join 

•with him to sing canticles at his happiness. In Sicily 

23 



266 CATECHISBI OF PERSEVERANCE. 

was also martyred St. Agatha, who, although young, of 
a noble family, and the heiress of a great fortune, pre- 
ferred to renounce all rather than her faith. 

Q Who was the author of the ninth general per- 
secution ? 

A. The author of the ninth general persecution was 
Valerian. He put to death a great number of Chris- 
tians, and among others the Pope St. Sixtus II. On 
his way to martrydom, St. Lawrence, a deacon of the 
church of Rome, asked him with many tears, whither 
he was going without him. The Pope replied, "You 
shall follow me in three days." The prediction was 
accomplished. 

Q. What did the prefect of Rome demand of him ? 

A. The prefect of Rome having arrested St. Law- 
rence, demanded of him the treasures of the church. 
The saint assembled all the poor whom the church 
supported, and said to the prefect: "These are the 
treasures of Christians." The judge, being furious, 
caused Lawrence to be placed on a gridiron over a 
slow fire. The saint appeared as easy as if on his bed ; 
he prayed for the conversion of Rome and sweetly ex- 
pired. He was soon followed by St. Cyprian. 

Q. Who was St. Cyprian. 

A. St. Cyprian was bishop of Carthage and son of 
one of the first senators of that city. After having 
succored the pagans, who were visited by the plague, 
he was apprehended and condemned to lose his head. 
The saint on hearing his sentence replied: "God be 
praised." And after havijig prayed for his church he 
received the fatal blow. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Christianity established, — Terth persecution, — Third 

and fourth Centuries, 

Q. How did God punish the emperor Valerian ? 

A. Like all the other persecutors, the emperor Va- 



CATECHISM OF TERSEVERANCE. 267 

Jerian was punished in a very striking manner; he was 
made prisoner by Sapor, king of Persia, who obliged 
him to stoop down and serve as a foot-stool for him 
whenever he mounted his horse ; he afterwards caused 
him to be skinned alive, painted the skin red and hung 
it up in one of the temples of his gods. 

Q. Which was the tenth general persecution? 

A. The tenth general persecution was that of Dio- 
cletian. This cruel prince associated with himself in 
the government of the empire, Maximian, Galerius and 
Constantius Chlorus. All of them, except the last, 
were bitter enemies of the Christians. 

Q. What was the martyrdom of the Theban Legion ? 

A. Maximian had in his army a legion composed 
entirely of Christians. They were all veterans, and 
came from the east and the neighborhood of Thebes in 
Egypt — for this reason they were called the Theban 
Legion, and consisted of about ten thousand men, 
Maximian having arrived near Geneva in Switzerland, 
ordered them to sacrifice to the gods — upon their refu- 
sal he caused them all to be massacred. 

Q. In what manner did God come to the assistance 
of his church } 

A. At the moment when the Christians were going to 
be attacked more violently than ever, God sent into the 
desert holy men to pray, like Moses, and obtain victo- 
ry for the Christians. These holy men were St. Paul 
the first hermit, and St. Anthony and his disciples. 

Q. Who was St. Paul .? 

A. St. Paul, the first hermit, was born in Egypt in 
229. At the age of 22 he entered into the desert, 
where he used a cave for his residence, the palm leaves 
for clothing and the fruit of the palm for food. At the 
age of 43 the Lord fed him miraculously as he formerly 
fed Elias ; he lived in the exercise of prayer and pen- 
ance to the age of 113. When he died two lions 
came and scratched a hole, in which St. Anthony 
buried him with the hymns and prayers of the church. 
23* 



268 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

St. Anthony kept the habit of the saint, which was 
made of palm leaves, and wore it only on the solemn 
festivals of Easter and Pentecost. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Christianity established. — Tenth persecution, continued. 
Fourth Century. 

Q. Who was St. Anthony ? 

A. St. Anthony was the father of the Cenobites. 
Cenobites are those religious who live in community, 
and Anchorites are those who live separately in cells. 
St. Anthony was born in Egypt in 251. After the 
death of his parents, he gave all his goods to the poor 
and retired within the desert of Thebais, where he lived 
during 40 years, after which he consented to receive 
disciples ; the number of them became so great that he 
built monasteries to receive them. 

Q. When did this happen } 

A. This happened about the year 303, when the 
emperor Diocletian published his most furious edict 
of persecution against the church. St. Anthony had 
much to suffer in the desert from the devil, who made 
violent assaults upon him ; but the saint put him to 
flight, simply by the si^n of the cross. He often re- 
commended to his disciples the use of this wholesome 
sign, and also watchfulness over themselves, prayer 
and the thought of eternity. 

Q. To what age did St. Anthony attain } 

A. St. Anthony attained the age of 105 without hav- 
ing any infirmity. When dying he gave to St. Atha- 
nasius his cloak and one of his sheep skins ; the other 
sheep skin he gave to the Bishop Serapion, and his 
chalice to his disciples; this was all his property. He 
went sweetly to sleep in the Lord. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 269 

Q. Who was St, Syncletica ? 

A. St. Syncletica was descended of a noble and vir^ 
tuous family ; she possessed a great fortune, but after 
the death of her parents she distributed it all to the 
poor, and retired into a solitude not far from Alexan- 
dria, w^here she first established monasteries for women 
in the East. The saint, after suffering from a severe 
malady, died, aged 87. 

Q. Why has God established religious orders ? 

A. God has established religious orders to preserve 
and propagate Christianity. The contemplative or- 
ders whom we see shut up in monasteries, devoted to 
the exercise of prayer, fasting and mortification, have 
for their object: 1st, to pray for Christians who live in 
the world, and to expiate the sins of the world ; 2d, to 
preserve the practice of the gospel in its primitive 
purity. 

Q. What remark do you make on the establishment 
bf religious orders? 

A. 1 remark that they were founded at the moment 
when Christians began to relax in their piety, and de- 
part from the practice of their early virtues. Provi- 
dence wished to preserve to the world models of the 
exemplary life of our fathers in the faith. For this 
reason, the life and even the dress of religious remind 
us of the life, manners and customs of the first Chris- 
tians. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Christianity established.-^Tenth persecution, continued. 
Fourth Century, 

Q. What service do the contemplative orders render 
feociety ? 

A. The first service the contemplative orders render 
Society, is to preserve in its purity the practice of the 
Gospel to which the world is indebted for its happi- 
23^ 



270 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

ness; the second is to offer an asylum to many persons 
who do not wish to live in the world, or who could 
not remain in the w^orld without becoming a shame and 
a disgrace to society ; the third is to give to the world 
an example of contempt for riches and pleasures, the 
irregular love of which is the source of all evil. The 
example of the religious orders affords the best means 
of undeceiving mankind and procuring happiness for 
the world ; the fourth is to prevent a great number of 
persons from being a charge to society, to dispense 
abundant alms, and afford an unfailing source of relief 
during times of public distress. 

Q,. What happened after the foundation of the first 
contemplative orders ? 

A. After the foundation of the first contemplative 
orders, destined to obtain victory for the church, Dio- 
cletian sent forth his edicts of persecution, which com- 
menced in 303. The first to sufler in this persecution 
were the principal officers of the imperial palace. One 
of them, named Peter, was frightfully beaten and then 
roasted on a gridiron over a slow fire. Blood flowed 
in torrents through all the provinces. 

Q. What was the intention of Diocletian in this ? 

A. It was the intention of Diocletian to annihilate 
the very name of Christianity. To find out the Chris- 
tians, he placed idols in the streets, near the fountains, 
in the public squares and market places, and all who 
passed through the streets, who came for water or to 
purchase in the market, were obliged to offer sacrifice. 
Houses inhabited by Christians were set on fire, and all 
perished in the flames. 

Q. What is the history of St. Cyr and St. Julitta? 

A. One of the first victims of the persecution of 
Diocletian, was St. Julitta with her son St. Cyr. St 
Julitta was of the city of Iconium, and of the royal 
race. She fled to the city of Tarsus in Cilicia, with 
two servants and her son St. Cyr, at that time about 
three years of age. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 271 

Q. What happened to her ? 

A. The governor, named Alexander, caused her to 
be apprehended and beaten severely v^nth the sinews of 
an ox, at the same time he took St. Cyr in his arms 
and tried to caress him, but the young martyr scratched 
his face with his little hands, and as often as St. Julitta 
said, "I am a Christian," he replied, Jam a Christian. 

Q. What did the judge do .' 

A. The barbarous judge threw down from the tribu- 
nal the innocent victim, who broke its head by the 
fall and died bathed in its own blood. St. Julitta 
thanked God for the victory granted her son, and was 
herself beheaded. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Christianity established. — Tenth persecution, continued. 
Fourth Century, 

Q. What is the history of St. Phocas ? 

A. St. Phocas was a gardener, and his simplicity 
and innocence of manners were truly patriarchal. His 
garden and his thatched cabin afforded him the means 
to do charity and exercise hospitality. The governor 
of the province sent some soldiers to put him to death. 
Having arrived without knowing it at the house of 
Phocas, who entertained them for the night, they asked 
him where they could find Phocas, whom they had 
orders to kill. In the morning he said to them, " I 
have found Phocas; I am he; I do not fear death." 
They killed him. 

Q. What was the martyrdom of St. Taracus, St. 
Probus and St. Andronicus ? 

A. St. Taracus was an old soldier, and sixty-five 
years of age when he was apprehended. St. Probus 
was very rich, but he renounced all in order the better 
to serve our Saviour. St. i^ndronicus was a young 



tits CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

man of one of the first families in Ephesus. They 
were all three carried before Maximus the governor of 
Cilicia, who asked their names and their professions. 
They replied, *'We are Christians; that is our name 
and our profession." 

Q. What punishment did he make them suffer ? 

A. He caused their teeth to be broken out, their 
sides to be torn with iron points, their hands to be 
pierced with red-hot nails and the skin to be torn from 
their heads, on which were placed burning coals. 
Finding that he could not conquer them, he condemned 
them to be exposed to wild beasts. 

Q. How did they die ? 

A. The day of the show or spectacle they loosed 
against them a bear and a lioness of enormous size. 
The roaring of the beasts made the very spectators 
tremble, but the two beasts gently approached the 
martyrs and crouching down before them, licked theit 
feet. The tyrant, being confounded, ordered their 
heads to be struck off. The Christians carried away 
the bodies during the night and interred them. 

Q. What was the martyrdom of St. Agnes and St. 
Euialia.? 

A. Whilst the blood of the martyrs was flowing in 
the east, it also bedewed the provinces of the west. 
Two young virgins of illustrious birth and heiresses 
to large fortunes, obtained a glorious victory. The 
first was St. Agnes, who was scarcely thirteen. The 
governor of Rome having demanded her in marriage 
for his son, she replied that she was already promised 
to a heavenly spouse. By this it was known she was 
a Christian; and, without being at all moved by the ap- 
palling sight of the instruments of death, she tranquilly 
received the blow amidst the tears of the spectators. 

Q. Who was St. Eulalia ? 

A. St. Eulalia was born at Merida in Spain. Aged 
about thirteen, she presented herself with her own 
accord before Dacian the governor of the province. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 273 

and reproached him for the impiety that made him 
wish to destroy the true religion Dacian caused her 
sides to be torn with red-hot hooks. The saint counted 
her wounds and said tranquilly, " They write your 
name upon me, Lord; they engrave your victories upon 
my body. How I love to read such writing!" She 
was burnt alive. 



CHAPTER XX. 

; Christianity established, — Divinity of Religion, g 
Fourth Century, 

Q. What remark do you make on the history of the 
martyrs ? 

A. I remark that God chose the martyrs from all the 
different countries of the world, in order to show the 
unity and the catholicity of the faith in all ages and con- 
ditions of life, thereby teaching us that every age and 
condition has given saints to heaven, and still can give 
them if we choose. 

Q. What remark do you make on the death of the 
persecutors ? 

A. On the death of the persecutors I remark that 
their death is a visible proof of the justice of God. 
The punishment they received whilst yet on earth 
teaches us to fear God ; and this fear helps to strengthen 
religion. Thus martyrs and tyrants contribute, each in 
their way, to the glory of Jesus Christ. 

Q. Who gave peace to the church ? 

A. It was Constantine, son of Constantius Chlorus, 
that gave peace to the church. On the eve of a 
battle a luminous cross appeared in the heavens 
to Constantine and his whole army. On the middle of 
the cross there appeared these words : ** In this sign 
shall you conquer." On the following night our Lord 
appeared to Constantine and ordered him to make a 



274 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Standard similar to that he had seen in the heavens, and 
promised him he should obtain the victory. Constan- 
tine obeyed and he was victorious. He entered Rome 
and declared himself the protector of the Christian reli- 
gion, to which he granted peace and liberty in 313. 

Q. What does the establishment of the church 
prove ? 

A. The establishment of the church proves the 
divinity of religion ; it was established despite all 
human power; therefore God is its author. 

Q. How could we reason with the impious ? 

A. We could reason with the impious thus : The 
Christian religion was established by miracles, or with- 
out them ; which do you choose ? If you say it was 
established by miracles, then it is divine, it is true ; 
because God cannot work miracles to authorize false- 
hood. If, on the contrary, you say that the church 
was established without miracles, you admit the greatest 
of all miracles ; for the universe converted by a dozen 
fishermen is the greatest of miracles. 

Q. What has the church effected in becoming free ? 

A. The church in becoming free has changed legis- 
lation so as to render it mild and equitable; she has 
abolished the severity of slavery, polygamy, divorce, 
the right to sell or destroy children; in a w^ord, she has 
ameliorated the whole condition of man. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — Arim — S^ 
Jlthanasius. — Fourth Century, 

Q. By what means does our Lord preserve and prop- 
agate religion ? 

A Our Lord preserves and propagates religion by, 
1st, the priesthood; 2d, the saints; 3d, religious or- 
ders ; 4th, the missions. 



CATECHfSM OF PERSEVERANCE. 275 

^ Q,. Who are the first defenders of religion ? 

A. The first defenders of religion are priests. 
For this reason the priest is charged to preach the 
truth, in order to oppose it to error; to give good ex- 
ample, in order to oppose it to scandal ; to console 
man in his misfortunes, and thereby to prevent him 
from becoming miserable, as he was under paganism. 

Q. Who are the next defenders of religion f 

A. The second defenders of religion are the great 
saints who appeared from time to time when the 
church was threatened with the greatest evils and 
most grievous dangers They are charged to defend 
the truth, give good example and solace the miserable. 
Hence there are three kinds of saints, the apologists, 
the contemplatives and those devoted to the sick. 
They always appear when their presence is most 
needed by the church. 
•^ Q. Who are the third .^ 

*^ A» The third defenders of religion are the religious 
orders. They are also of three kinds. The learned 
orders for the defence of the truth ; the contemplative, 
for good example and prayer; and the charitable, to 
succor the afllicted. AH these various means of de- 
fence are reducible to one, that is, the church; for it is 
in the church and by the church that priests are con- 
secrated and the saints and religious are formed. 

Q. What are the means established by our Lord for 
the propagation of religion ? 

A. The means established by our Lord for the prop- 
agation of religion are the missions, which take place 
more especially when a nation or people have rendered 
themselves worthy to receive the faith, thereby winning 
new children for the church and compensating for 
those she has lost. 

Q. Did the church enjoy peace after the persecu- 
tions ? 

A. After the persecutions the church did not enjoy 
peace ; for, like our Saviour, she must ever be exposed 



276 cATEcmsM of perseverance. 

to new attacks. The first who rose up against the 
church was Arius, who dared to deny the divinity of our 
Lord. He was condemned in the general council of 
Nice and sent into exile, whence he returned only to 
die a cruel and shameful death. 

Q. Who was at that time the defender of the truth ? 

A. The greatest defender of the truth against the 
Arians was St. Athanasius bishop of Alexandria m 
Egypt. He had much to suffer for the good cause du- 
ring his life, which was very long ; he died in the midst 
of his people, regretted by all, in the year 373 after 
Christ. 

Q. How did our Lord repair the losses of his church? 

A. The church had seen a great number of her 
children drawn into heresy. Our Lord consoled her 
by. the conversion of new people. St. Frumentius car- 
ried the light of the faith into Abyssinia, which em- 
braced religion with great ardor. At the same time a 
Christian slave converted the nation of the Iberians. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Christianity preserved and propagated — S^ Hilary-^ 
St. Martin — St, Gregory JYazianzen — St, Basil* 
Fourth Century. 

Q. Who was St. Hilary ? 

A. St. Hilary, bishop of Poictiers, was raised up by 
God to defend the Western church at^ainst Arianism at 
the same time that St. Athanasius defended the East- 
ern church against the same heresy. 

Q. Who was the most illustrious disciple of St. 
Hilary ? 

A. The most illustrious disciple of St. Hilary was 
the great St. Martin, a son of a tribune of the soldiers. 
St. Martin was obliged to enter the profession of a 
soldier, but even there he failed not to practice every 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 277 

virtue, especially charity towards the poor. He after- 
wards attached himself to St. Hilary, founded the first 
monastery known in Gaul, was consecrated bishop of 
Tours, and converted a great number of pagans, which 
compensated the church for the children she had lost 
by Arianism. 

Q. What was passing in the east at that time ? 

A. Whilst St. Hilary was defending religion in the 
west, and St. Martin propagating it, the emperor Ju- 
lian the apostate endeavored to re-establish paganism 
in the east. 

Q. By what means ? 

A. In order to destroy religion by a single blow, he 
undertook to give the lie to our Lord by rebuilding the 
temple of Jerusalem. He destroyed what remained of 
the old foundations, but in the act of placing the first 
stone of the new temple, a whirlwind of flames burst 
out of the earth and forced the workmen to fly. He 
renewed the attempt several times, but each time new 
flames bursting forth prevented the work, and he was 
obliged to abandon it. 

Q. What effect had this miracle ? 

A. This miracle, attested by a pagan author, filled 
the Catholics with joy, and rendered furious the apos- 
tate, who swore to avenge himself on Jesus Christ; 
but he was mortally wounded in a battle, when, foam- 
ing with rage, he took with his hand the blood from 
his wound and threw it towards the heavens, crying, 
** Thou hast conquered, Galilean." It was thus he 
called our Lord. These words were the last cry of 
expiring paganism. 

Q,. How did God sustain his church.? 

A. God sustained his church thus: he himself con- 
founded Julian the apostate, and then he raised up 
learned doctors who wrote against him as well as 
against Arianism, which from day to day was extend- 
ing its ravao^es. Amongst these great doctors were St. 
Gregory Nazianzen and St. Basil the Great. 
24 



278 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Who was St. Gregory Nazianzen ? 

A. St. Gregory Nazianzen was born at Nazianzen, a 
city of Cappadocia. He was trained to virtue by his 
parents and sent to Athens to study, where he formed 
an intimate friendship with St. Basil. The fruit of 
this friendship, which should serve us as a model, was 
to guard them from bad example and aid their progress 
in virtue and science. 

Q. What was the eulogium passed upon them .? 

A. The eulogium passed on them was, that they 
knew only two streets, the one that led to the church, 
and the other to the public schools. Gregory was 
elected archbishop of Constantinople, where he had 
much to suffer from the heretics; he retired into soli- 
tude where he composed his beautiful works, which 
are the glory and treasure of the church. 

Q. Who was St. Basil ? 

A. St. Basil was of Cesarea in Cappadocia, of a 
family not less illustrious for its sanctity than for its 
nobility. Having reached a mature age, he retired into 
solitude and founded many monasteries both of men 
and women, for whom he drew up a code of wise regu- 
lations. It is for this reason he is regarded as one of 
the four patriarchs of the religious orders. 

Q. Did he remain always in his solitude? 

A. He did not remain always in his solitude. Be- 
ing, entirely against his wish, made archbishop of 
Cesarea, he was one of the pillars of the church 
against Arianism ; he made the emperor Valens trem- 
ble, and died at the age of fifty-one, so poor that he did 
not leave wherewith to build a tomb of stone for] his 
grave. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 279 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — <S^ Hilanon, 

St, Ambrose, St. Augustin, — Second General 

Council. — Fourth and fifth Centuries. 

Q. What happened about the close of the fourth 
century ? 

A. About the close of the fourth century schism 
and heresy caused a multitude of disorders. Great 
saints retired into the desert, there to do penance for 
the sins of the world, and obtain a victory for the 
church; of this number was St. Hilarion. 

Q. Who was St. Hilarion ? 

A. St. Hilarion was born in Palestine, of idolatrous 
and rich parents. At the age of fifteen he retired into 
the desert, where he lived to the age of eighty-four, 
practicing the most incredible austerities ; feeling that 
his death was near, he said to his soul: "What dost 
thou fear, my soul ; it is now seventy years that thou 
servest Jesus Christ, why shouldst thou fear ?" 

Q. What new heresy arose at this time ? 

A. At this time arose the heresy of Macedonius, 
who denied the divinity of the Holy Ghost. Our 
Lord came to the aid of his church, by means of the 
council of Constantinople, which condemned the her- 
etic, and added some words to the symbol of Nice, the 
better to explain the faith touching the Holy Ghost. 
This is the symbol sung at Mass. 

Q. Was the church in peace after the condemnation 
of Macedonius ? 

A. She was not. ' The followers of this heretic, as 
well as the Arians, troubled the church by spread- 
ing their errors. But God raised up, to oppose them, a 
great doctor, named St. Ambro^. St. Ambrose w^as 
the son of the prefect of Gaul, and was made bishop 
of Milan, notwithstanding his tears and his opposition. 



280 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

He extinguished the heresy of the Arians in his dio- 
cess, and showed himself always firm in defending 
the cause of God. 

Q. On what occasion did his firmness show itself in 
a special manner? 

A. His firmness was specially shown in his conduct 
towards Theodosius the great. This emperor, having 
massacred seven thousand inhabitants of the city of 
Thessalonica, dared immediately alter to enter the 
church. St. Ambrose stopped him at the door, and 
made him do penance. The emperor submitted with 
humility. 

Q. Who was St. Augustin ? 

A. St. Augustin w^as born at Tagaste, in Africa. 
His mother was St. Monica, and his father Patrick, a 
pagan, but who was converted by the prayers and 
patience of his virtuous wife. In his youth, St. 
Augustin gave into every disorder, from which he 
was withdrawn by St. Ambrose, and St. Monica his 
mother. 

Q. What did he do after his conversion ? 

A. After his conversion, he retired into the country ; 
became the bishop of Hippo, and confounded the 
heretics, schismatics and pagans, who united their 
attacks against the church. Like St. Ambrose, he 
sold the sacred vessels to redeem captives, and died so 
poor as to render it unnecessary for him to make a 
will. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — St, Chrysos- 

torn, St. Jerome, St, Arsenius, — Third and fourth 

General Councils. — Fifth Century y continued. 

Q. Who were the other doctors raised up by God to 
defend religion during the fifth century ? 

A. During the fifth century God raised up a great 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 281 

number of other doctors to defend religion ; such as 
St. Cyril, of Alexandria, St. Isidore, of Peiusium, St. 
Epiphanius, and above all, St. Chrysostom, patriarch 
of Constantinople, and St. Jerome. 
Q. Who was St. Chrysostom? 

A. St. Chrysostom was son of one of the generals 
of the Roman armies ; he was born at Antioch, and 
raised in piety by a virtuous mother; he became so 
skilled in eloquence, that he changed the whole face 
of the city of Antioch. 

Q. How did he become the patriarch of Constanti- 
nople ? 

A. The emperor Arcadius had him carried off and 
consecrated archbishop of Constantinople. The saint 
there displayed the same zeal as at Antioch, and with 
the same success. But the heretics and the evilly 
disposed caused him to be sent into exile, where he 
died in 407. 

Q. Who w^as St. Jerome ? 

A. St. Jerome, born in Pannonia, was sent to Rome 
to perfect himself in the sciences. He there forgot, for 
a time, the good principles received from his family ; 
but entering into himself, he was baptized, and conse- 
crated himself entirely to prayer and study. He 
retired to Bethlehem, and there spent the rest of his 
life in great austerities. It was from the depth of his 
solitude that he refuted the schismatics and heretics, 
and enlightened the church by a great number of 
learned works. 

Q. Who were the principal solitaries of the fifth 
century ? 

A. The principal solitaries of the fifth century were 
St. Milus, St. Simon Stylites, St. Arsenius and St. 
Gerasimus. Whilst great doctors were doing battle 
for the church, great saints were praying in the desert 
for the triumph of the church and to stay the justice 
of God. 

24* 



282 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Who was St. Arsenius ? 

A. St. Arsenius was first the preceptor of the child- 
ren of the emperor Theodosius. After having passed 
eleven years at court, he retired into the desert, where, 
till the age of 95, he led a life wholly angelic, after 
saying to himself : " Arsenius, why did you quit the 
world ? why have you come hither ?" 

Q. Who was St. Gerasimus ? 

A. St. Gerasimus fixed his habitation in Palestine, 
on the banks of the Jordan, and founded there a very 
celebrated laura. A laura signifies a habitation vof 
solitaries, whose cells are ranged in a circle, separated 
from one another, but all opening into the church, 
which is built in the centre of the circle. These 
saints all lived in perpetual silence; each in his own 
cell occupied in prayer and manual labor. On Sunday 
they all assembled in the church, to participate in the 
holy mysteries. 

Q, How did God punish the sins of the heretics 
and pagans ? 

A. During the fifth century God punished the sins 
of the heretics and pagans by bringing down upon the 
Roman empire hordes of barbarians, led on by the 
redoubtable chiefs, Attila, king of the Huns, and 
Alaric, king of the Visigoths. The pope St. Leo 
twice saved Rome from their fury. 

Q. Were there not two general councils held in the 
fifth century ? 

A. There were two general councils held in the fifth 
century; one at Ephesus in 431, which condemned 
Nestorius; the other at Chalcedon, in 451, in which 
Eutyches was condemned. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 283 



CHAPTER XXV. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — St. Patrick, 
St. Clotilda, St. Benedict. — Fifth General Council. 
Fifth and sixth Centuries. 

Q. What do you further remark of the fifth century ? 

A. I further remark of the fifth century that whilst 
heresies afflicted the church in the east, new nations 
were converted to the faith.' 

Q. Who were these nations? 

A. The Irish and the French. 

Q Who was the apostle of Ireland? 

A. The aposile of Ireland was St. Patrick. He 
was born in England,* and carried off by a gang of 
barbarians, who took him to Ireland, where he was 
reduced to the condition of a swineherd. God deliv- 
ered him ; but from the moment he returned to his 
own country, he resolved to go back to Ireland, to 
preach there the faith. Pope Celestine made him 
bishop and sent him to Ireland, which he had the 
happiness to convert to Christianily. 

Q. Who was the apostle of the French? 

A. It may be said that St. Clotilda was the apostle 
of the French. This princess was a Catholic, and 
was given in marriage to Clovis, king of the French. 
She endeavored by the practice of every virtue to gain 
the heart of her husband, in order to gain him to Jesus 
Christ; Clovis postponed his conversion from day to 
day; at length the moment of grace arrived. 

Q On what occasion ? 

A. In a battle against the Germans, Clovis saw his 
army in confusion, and himself exposed to fall into 
the hands of his enemies. He invoked the God ot 
Clotilda, and promised to adore him if he should be 
victorious. His prayer was heard ; on his return to 

* Alban BuUer places bis birth iii Scotiandj others in Brittany. 



284 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Rheims, he was baptized by St. Remigius, bishop of 
that city, together with a great number of his officers. 

Q. What was the end of St. Clotilda ? 

A. St. Clotilda, having obtained the great wish of 
her heart, retired after the death of her husband, in the 
city of Tours, near the tomb of St. Martin, where she 
died full of days and merit on the 3d of June, in the 
year 545. She and St. Monica are the models of 
mothers and wives. 

Q. Who was St. Benedict ? 

A. St. Benedict was born in Italy. His parents 
sent him to Rome to study; but fearing to lose his 
innocence there, he left the city and retired to the 
desert of Subiaco, and afterwards to Mount Cassino, 
where he founded the celebrated monastery which 
bears that name. He soon after founded twelve 
others, for which he wrote a code of rules full of 
wisdom. St. Benedict is the first patriarch of the re- 
ligious orders in the west. By the first article of his 
rule, persons of every description are admitted. This 
was intended to open an asylum to all those who were 
compelled to fly from the barbarians. 

Q. What service have the Benedictines rendered ? 

A. The Benedictines have rendered the greatest ser- 
vices to the world. They have cleared vast provinces; 
preserved the works of the ancient writers; edified 
the church, and carried the faith to whole nations. 

Q. Was there not a general council held in the 
sixth century? 

A. In the sixth century there was a general council 
held at Constantinople in 553, in which many errors 
were condemned. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 285 



CHAPTER XXVI. 
Christianity preserved and propagated. — St, Austin, 
apostle of England, and St. John the Almoner, — 
Sixth and seventh Centuries, 

Q. How was England converted ? 

A. A young deacon, named Gregory, was one day 
passing through the market at Rome, and there saw 
some slaves of remarkably fine appearance exposed to 
sale. He learned that they were from Great Britain, 
and were pagans. " What a pity," said he, " that 
such beautiful creatures should be slaves to the devil." 

Q. What did he do afterwards? 

A. Having become pope, with the title of Gregory 
the great, he sent into England St. Austin, prior of 
one of the Benedictine convents at Rome. The saint 
set out with forty missionaries ; they arrived safely in 
England, and penetrated as far as Canterbury, of 
which place Austin became bishop. 

Q. Did they make many converts 1 

A. The pagans, struck by the brilliant virtues and 
miracles of the apostle, were converted in great num- 
bers. The king himself demanded baptism ; and in a 
short time all Great Britain became Christian. It is 
thus our Lord compensated the church for the losses 
which heresies caused her to sustain in the east. 

Q. What happened in the commencement of the 
seventh century ? 

A. In the commencement of the seventh century 
the vengeance of God fell upon the empire of the 
Persians, who, from the birth of Christianity, had 
never ceased to persecute the Christians. 

Q. How did the Persians at last bring the ven- 
geance of God upon their empire .' 

A. The Parthians and Persians, led on by their 
king, Chosroes, made a descent on Syria and Pales- 



286 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

tine; took Jerusalem, delivered it up to fire and sword, 
and possessed themselves of the true cross, which they 
carried into Armenia, after having massacred a great 
number of Christians, and reduced the rest to the most 
abject misery. 

Q. How did our Lord come to the relief of his 
afflicted children ? 

A. Our Lord came to the relief of his afflicted 
children by raising up for them a man who sympa- 
thized deeply with them in their afflictions, consoled 
them, fed them, and aided them greatly to re-build 
Jerusalem. This man, who may be called the St. 
Vincent of Paul of the east, was St. John, patriarch 
01 Alexandria, in Egypt. He w^as so charitable, that 
he received the name of the Almoner. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — St. John the 

Almoner, continued. — The true Cross restored. 

Seventh Century. 

Q. Continue the life of St. John the Almoner. 

A. St. John was as ready to forgive injuries as to 
distribute alms. One day, a senator named Nicetas 
w^ished to take possession of a piece of property which 
belonged to the church, and to the poor of Alexandria. 
The saint opposed it, which made the senator very 
angry. The saint had no sooner returned home, than 
he sent tw^o ecclesiastics to say to Nicetas : ^'JVly 
brother, the sun is about to set." The senator under- 
stood, and went immediately to the holy patriarch. 
They both knelt down and prayed together, they 
embraced each other, and thenceforward they remained 
ever united in sincere friendship. 

Q. What was the resignation of the holy patriarch .' 

A. At a moment when he most needed all his 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 287 

resources, he learned that thirteen vessels, laden with 
corn and valuable merchandise, belonging to the church 
of Alexandria, had been shipwrecked. He received 
this dispensation of Providence with all the resigna- 
tion of the holy man Job, and like him was he 
rewarded. 

Q. What was his detachment ? 

A. He occupied a small cell, and slept on a poor 
bed, which had but a single cover, made of wool, old 
and torn in many places. A rich citizen of Alexan- 
dria purchased a new one, and begged him to make 
use of it, for his sake. The saint with much reluc- 
tance consented to use it. 

Q. What happened afterwards ? 

A. He was unable to sleep the whole night. He 
was heard constantly saying: "Who would think that 
the humble John has on him a covering that cost thir- 
ty-six pieces of silver? How many poor are there 
who have only a reed-mat to lie on } God be praised, 
it is the first and last time T use this covering." — 
Early in the morning he had it sold. 

Q. Where did St. John the Almoner die ? 

A. St. John the Almoner, having lived to a very 
old age, died at the island of Cyprus, leaving the fol- 
lowing will : " 1, John, who am only a poor sinner, 
return thanks to God, that at the hour of death my 
whole wealth consists of but a single piece of money. 
As I have heretofore given all I had to God, so 1 now 
give him this also, by giving it to the poor " 

Q. How did God punish the Persians for having 
laid waste Jerusalem ? 

A. God, who had raised up St. John the Almoner 
to succor the Christians of Palestine and Syria, did not 
forget to punish the Persians for the crimes and profa- 
nations which they had committed. The emperor 
Heraclius gave the first death blow to their empire, by 
a great victory obtained over them; after which their 



288 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

king, Chosroes, who had taken Jerusalem and carried 
away tlie true cross, was assassinated by his own son. 

Q. What became of the true cross ? 

A. The true cross was restored, still enclosed in its 
case and sealed with the seal of the patriarch of Jeru- 
salem, and was carried back in triumph to the holy 
city. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — St, Sophro- 

nitis. — Sixth General Council. — St. Willihrod. — 

Seventh and eighth Centuries. 

Q. Who gave the last blow to the empire of the 
Persians ? 

A. Mahomet gave the finishing blow to the empire 
of the Persians. He was born at Mecca, a small town 
in Arabia, of obscure parents. Crime cost him 
nothing, if by it he could attain his wishes. In order 
to hold a more sure and unlimited sway over the 
Arabs, a great number of whom were still idolaters, he 
determined to form a religion for them. 

Q What was his religion ? 

A. The religion of Mahomet was an absurd mixture 
of Christianity, Judaism and idolatry. He admits the 
existence of one God, but denies the free will of man; 
he prescribes different acts of religion, but sanctions 
the most shameful sins, and promises his followers 
sensual pleasures in eternity, as their reward. 

Q. What were the effects of this religion ? 

A. It produced debasement, corruption, slavery and 
barbarism ; whereas Christianity has purified morals, 
abolished slavery and civilized nations. 

Q. Did Mahomet succeed in establishinghis religion ? 

A. He succeeded by means of the sword. His law 



CATECHISM GF PERSEVERANCE. 289 

was : Believe or die ! The Mahometans owe their 
success to force and the love of pleasures ; whereas 
the apostles established the Christian religion by pla- 
cing a restraint upon all the passions of man, and by 
suffering martyrdom themselves. 

Q. Is the religion of Mahomet one? 

A. Whilst the Christian religion is one and undi- 
vided, Mahometanism is divided into a multitude of 
sects. There are more than sixty of these sects. 

Q. What was the end of Mahomet ? 

A. A Jewish woman, wishing to ascertain if Ma- 
homet was really a prophet, as he pretended, poisoned a 
shoulder of mutton, and gave it to him to eat. The 
pretended prophet did not discover it until after he had 
eaten of it, and died miserably. 

Q. How did the empire of the Persians terminate ? 

A. Omar, one of the lieutenants of Mahomet, was 
appointed by Providence to punish the Persians. He 
declared war against them, killed their last king and 
destroyed their empire. The Mahometans, called by 
God to chastise the guilty nations, reduced to servi- 
tude all the provinces of the east which embraced 
heresy. 

Q What other calamity afflicted the church ? 

A. The heresy of the Monothelites. These heretics 
pretended that there was but one will, although there 
were two natures in our Lord. They were condemned 
in the sixth general council, held at Constantinople 
in 680. 

Q. How did God console the church .? 

A. God consoled the church by the evangelical life 
of a great number of saints, who repaired the scandals 
and crimes caused by heresy. Of this number was St. 
Anastasius, solitary of Mt. Sinai. 

Q. How did God repair the losses sustained by the 
church ? 

A. God repaired the losses which the church had 
sustained from heresy and Mahometanism, by the con- 
25 



2&0 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

version of new nations. These were the Prisons, the 
Hollanders, and a portion of the Danes. The mis- 
sionary who carried the gospel to them was St. Willi- 
brod, a Benedictine religious of England. He was sent 
by Pope Sergius. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

Christianity preserved and propagated, — St. Boniface. 
Martyrdom of the Religious ofLerinsand of St. Ste- 
phen, Solitary, — Eighth Century, 

Q. Did the church make other conquests ? 

A. The church made other conquests still more 
extensive : all Germany was converted by the preach- 
ing of St. Boniface, an English Benedictine, whom 
the Sovereign Pontiff Gregory II sent to preach the 
gospel to all the north of Europe. 

Q. What did St. Boniface do after receiving his 
mission ? 

A. After receiving his mission, the saint departed 
for the scene of his future labors, converted the Bava- 
rians, the rest of the Prisons, and of Saxony, in order 
to secure the fruit of his labors, he founded the cele- 
brated abbey of Fulde, which became a nursery of 
saints and great men, who civilized the Germans, after 
having: made them Christians. 

Q. How did St. Boniface die? 

A. St. Boniface, having been consecrated arch- 
bishop of Mayence, pushed his apostolic labors to the 
most distant portions of Friseland on the seaboard. 
He had already converted a great number of idolaters, 
when he was set upon by the barbarians, who procured 
for him the crown of martyrdom which he had long 
since desired. 

Q. From whom had the church to suffer .' 

A. The church whilst rejoicing in the conversion of 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 291 

Germany had much to suffer from the Saracens or 
Mahometans. They crossed from Africa into Spain, 
and thence passed into France, burning and slaughter- 
ing whatever they met. 

Q. By whom was their course arrested ? 

A. Their course was arrested by Charles Martel, a 
French prince, who defeated them in a bloody battle 
near Poictiers. Before and during this invasion great 
disorders had taken place ; the sins of Christians were 
great, and victims were required to expiate them. 

Q. Who were these victims ? 

A. These victims were a great many holy bishops 
and religious living at that time, and especially the 
glorious martyrs whose blood was shed in torrents by 
the swords of the Saracens, particularly the religious 
of Luxeuil in Frauche-Comte, and the religious of 
Lerins. 

Q. What else had the church to sufier during this 
century ? 

A. The church had also to suffer during this century 
from the impieties of the Iconoclasts or image-break- 
ers. They were heretics, and regarding as idolatrous 
the honor paid to the images of our Lord, the B. Vir- 
gin and the saints, went about destroying them. 

Q. Who was the author of this heresy ? 

A. The author of this heresy was Leo the Isaurian, 
who sustained it by the sword. His son Constantine 
endeavored to support it also, by argument, but he 
was confounded in a public disputation, by a holy soli- 
tary named Stephen. This prince, a persecutor of the 
church, died miserably, stricken by the hand of God. 



292 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — St, John 
Damascen, — Seventh General Council. — St. Ansca- 
rim, St. EulogiuSy St. Methodius. — Eighth and 
ninth Centuries. 

Q. Who was the principal defender of holy images ? 

A. The principal defender of holy images was St. 
John, surnamed Damascen from Damascus the place of 
his birth. His father had him instructed with great 
care by a holy religious, whom he had redeemed from 
the slavery of the Saracens. 

Q. What did St. John do after the death of his 
father ? 

A. After the death of his father, he was appointed 
governor of Damascus ; but fearing lest he should lose 
his soul, amidst the honors and riches of his station, 
he quit it, and retired to seek solitude in the laura of 
St. Sabas near Jerusalem. By his writings he gave 
the death blow to the heresy of the Iconoclasts, which 
was condemned by the seventh general council, held 
at Nice in 787. 

Q. In what manner did God punish the emperors 
of Constantinople ? 

A. To punish the emperors of Constantinople, God 
took from them the empire of the west, and gave it 
to a prince more worthy. This prince was Charle- 
magne, under whose auspices religion and the sciences 
flourished again, and the conversion of the Saxons was 
secured. 

Q. What other people were afterwards converted ? 

A. The conversion of the Saxons was followed by 
that of the Danes and Swedes. The church thus re- 
paired the losses she had sustained by the Mahometans 
and heretics. 

Q. Who was the apostle of these nations ? 

A. The apostle of the Danes and Swedes was St. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 293 

Anscarius, a Benedictine religious, of the abbey of 
Corbie. 

Q. Were there no martyrs during this period ? 
* A. During this period there were martyrs in Spain, 
where the Saracens had resolved to extinguish the 
faith. Abderam their king commenced a violent per- 
secution, in vt^hich many victims were sacrificed, and 
amongst them St. Eulogius. 

Q. Who was St. Eulogius ? 

A. St. Eulogius was a holy priest, full of faith, and 
well versed in science. He had advised a Christian, 
whose father and mother were Mahometans, to quit 
her parental roof, fearing lest she should lose her 
faith. This so exasperated the Saracens, that they 
seized the saint and put him to death. The young 
Christian suffered martyrdom four days after. 

Q. Was the blood of these martyrs the seed of 
Christians ? 

A. The blood of these martyrs was the seed of 
Christians ; for shortly after their death the Bulgarians 
embraced Christianity. The sight of a painting, rep- 
resenting the last judgment, struck the king with such 
terror, that he demanded baptism and became a fervent 
Christian. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — Eighth Gen- 
eral Council. — Conversion of the Russians and JVor- 
mans. — Foundation of the Jlbbey of Cluni. — JVinth 
and tenth Centuries, 

Q. What afflicted the church towards the close of 
the ninth century ? 

A. Towards the close of the ninth century the 
church was afflicted by the schism of Photius. Pho- 
tius was a man of great influence and full of pride ; 
25"^ 



294 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

he drove St. Ignatius, patriarch of Constantinople, from 

his see, and usurped it himself, although only a simple 

layman. 

_ Q. What did the sovereign pontiffs do ? 

A. The sovereign pontiffs wrote to the emperor in 
order to put an end to this scandal. The eighth gene- 
ral council was assembled at Constantinople. Photius 
was condemned, and Ignatius recognized as the sole 
lawful pastor. Order was again established ; but in 
the minds of some turbulent spirits there remained a 
discontent, which at a later period gave rise to the 
schism of the Greeks. 

Q. How was the church consoled ? 

A. The church was consoled by the conversion of 
the Russians, a barbarous people, who appeared in 
the north of Europe, and who were already menacing 
the provinces of the empire. A holy bishop set out 
to preach the gospel to them, but the Russians de- 
manded a miracle before they would be converted. 

Q. What was the miracle ? 

A. They required of him to throw the book of Gos- 
pels into a large fire which themselves had made, 
promising to become Christians if the book was not 
consumed. The holy missionary raised his eyes to 
heaven and implored the Lord to have pity on that 
people. The miracle took pla^, and the whole people 
demanded baptism. 

Q. What people was converted during the tenth 
century 1 

A. The Normans were converted during the tenth 
century. They were barbarians from the north, who 
ravaged Europe for more than a century. 

Q. Who preached the faith to them ? 

A. It was particularly the archbishop of Rouen 
who preached the faith to them. Rollo, their chief, 
consented to receive instruction in the Christian religion, 
which he embraced with sincerity, and established 
himself in the country now called Normandy. After 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 295 

Ks baptism he labored with zeal for the conversion of 
his followers, and his efforts were crowned with 
success. 

Q. What new enemy had the church to combat ? 

A. Scandal was the new enemy which the church 
had now to combat. During the continued wars of the 
Normans great irregularities had crept in among the 
Christians and reached even the monasteries. The 
church wept and God raised up great saints, who 
again revived the spirit of virtue. 

Q. Who was the first? 

A. The first was St. Odon, abbot of Cluni. Cluni 
was an abbey of the order of St. Benedict, situated near 
Macon. The saint established perfect regularity in 
the abby, whence went forth the happy reform which 
restored the religious orders to their primitive holiness. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — St, Gerard 
St. Odon, St, Adelaide, — Conversion of the Poles, — 
Tenth Century, 

Q. By whom was the reform of morals continued ? 

A. The reform of morals, commenced at Cluni, 
was continued in Belgium by St. Gerard. This young 
nobleman, engaged from his infancy in the career of 
arms, had preserved his soul in all its purity. One 
day whilst returning from a hunt he entered a solitary 
chapel to pray, and there resolved to quit the world. 

Q. Whither did he retire } 

A. He retired to the abbey of St. Denis near Paris, 
where he was ordained priest, and sent back to Belgium 
to establish discipline. 

Q. Who reformed England ? 

A, St. Odon, and after him St. Dunstan, both of 
whom were archbishops of Canterbury. Their efforts 



296 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

were crowned with great success, and, despite the 
wiles of the devil, religion every where triumphed. ' 

Q. Show this more clearly. 

A. Whilst virtue was flourishing in the convents 
and among the clergy, God was pleased that it should 
shine brilliantly in the courts of kings. We behold 
during that period St. Winceslas, duke of Bohemia, 
St. Edward, king of England, St. Matilda, queen of 
Germany, and St. Adelaide, empress, reforming by 
their example the people whom they governed. 

Q. What were the other triumphs of the church ? 
; A. The other triumphs of the church were: 1st, 
the conversion of the Basques, a people inhabiting the 
frontiersof France and Spain ; 2d, the conversion of 
the Poles, who owe the light of the gospel, in a great 
measure, to a pious princess, the wife of the duke of 
Poland. 

Q. What were the other consolations of the church? 

A. The extraordinary virtues of St. Paul of Latra, 
an eastern anchorite, also consoled the church. Du- 
ring a long life he expiated the sins of the world by 
austerities similar to those practiced by the most fa- 
mous solitaries. His reputation spread throughout 
the whole Christian world, so that emperors, popes 
and bishops consulted him, being persuaded that God 
spoke by the mouth of this great saint. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Christianity preserved ,and propagated. — St, Bruno, 
St, William, St. Peter Damian, St. Greg(yry VIL 
Eleventh Century. 

Q. Who reformed the morals of Germany ? 

A. St. Bruno and St. William reformed the morals 
of Germany. St. Bruno was the brother of the em- 
peror Otho and archbishop of Mayence. God seconded 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 297 

his efforts, and the love of science and the practice of 
virtue v^^hich prevailed, consoled the church no less 
than the previous scandal had afflicted her. 

Q. Who was St. William? 

A. St. William, who aided in reforming the morals 
of Germany, was abbot of Hirsaug ; he revived piety 
in this celebrated abbey, and reformed more than a 
hundred monasteries. 

Q. Who were the first to reform the clergy ? 

A. The sovereign pontiffs w^ere the first to reform 
the clergy. It was proper that they should be the first, 
as they were established by our Lord to watch not 
only over the faithful, but over the pastors also. 

Q. By whom were they seconded ? 

A. They were powerfully seconded by St. Peter 
Damian. Born at Ravenna in Italy, and during his 
youth employed as a swineherd, he became after- 
wards a celebrated professor ; but fearing to lose his 
soul in the world, he retired to a hermit's cell, where 
he practiced all the austerities of penance. 

Q. What did the sovereign pontiffs do ? 

A. The sovereign pontiffs called him from his ob- 
scurity; he was made bishop and cardinal; he conse- 
crated his whole life to the reform of the clergy, and 
had the consolation to see his labors crowned with 
success. 

Q. What was the principal cause of the scandals of 
that period ? 

A. The principal cause of the scandals of that pe- 
riod was the assumption by princes, irrespective of 
the ecclesiastical authority, of the right of investiture, 
that is, the right of nominating to dignities in the 
church. 

Q. Who made head against this abuse ? 

A. The great St. Gregory VII, a religious, and 
afterwards prior of Cluni. He was during twenty 
years archdeacon of the Roman church, and employed 
in the most important affairs of the holy see. At the 



298 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

age of sixty he was elected pope, and spent the rest of 
his ]ife in rescuing the church from the temporal 
powers, who were dishonoring it hy the appointment 
of ministers unworthy of their holy station. The 
whole world owes a debt of such profound gratitude to 
this holy pope, who by saving the church saved society 
itself, that even Protestants revere him. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Christianity preserved and propagated, — Founding of 
the great St. Bernard. — The Camaldulenses estab- 
lished. — Lanfranc, archbishop of Canterbury. — EleV' 
enth Century. 

Q. Who were the principal saints of the eleventh 
century ? 

A. Besides those whose history we have already 
given, the principal saints of the eleventh century 
were St. Henry, emperor of Germany ; St. Stephen, 
king of Hungary, and St. Emeric his son; St. Olaus, 
king of Norway; who show us the effect produced by 
the reform of morals, and teach us that the church has 
at all times been full of vigor and of life. 

Q. What else teaches us this beautiful truth ? 

A. The institution of the religious of the great St. 
Bernard also teaches us that the church has ever been 
full of strength and life. 

Q. Who was the founder of the great St. Bernard 
or Mount St. Bernard? 

A. The founder was St. Bernard of Menthon, arch- 
deacon of Aosla in Piedmont. Having learnt that on 
the summit of the alps there was adored a famous 
statue of Jupiter, he went to the place, overturned the 
statue and built near the spot an establishment for the 
reception of travelers who crossed those dangerous 



J J 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 299 

mountains. This establishment is called the hospice 
of the ^reat St. Bernard. 

Q. What are the occupations of the religious who 
inhabit this convent? 

A. The religious who inhabit it are constantly oc- 
cupied in rendering aid to travelers ; they seek for 
them under the snow, carry them to the convent, and 
bestow upon them all the care and attention necessary 
to restore them to life. These religious lead a very 
austere life, and shorten their days by breathing the 
too keen atmosphere of these mountains. 

Q. What other institution was founded about this 
time } 

A. Another institution destined to give an example 
to the world and to expiate the sins of men, wag 
founded at this time ; it was the order of the Camal- 
dulenses. St. Romuald, its founder, was an Italian 
noble, whose youth was not the most regular; but, 
touched by the grace ol God, he was converted, and 
practiced in the desert the greatest austerities. 

Q. What was the effect of his sanctity } 

A. The effect of his sanctity was to draw around 
him as his disciples a number of princes and young 
noblemen and a great many of inferior rank. 

Q. What was their mode of life ? 

A. They lived by the labor of their hands. Fast- 
ing, silence, prayer, all the virtues of the ancient soli- 
taries were practiced by St. Romuald and his disciples. 
This order has given to the church a great number of 
saints and illustrious personages, amongst others the 
late pope Gregory XVI. 

Q. What were the afflictions of the church during 
this century } 

A. The principal afflictions of the church during 
this century were: 1st, the heresy of Berengarius, 
archdeacon of the church of Angers, who dared deny 
the real presence of our Lord in the blessed sacrament ; 
but he was refuted by the celebrated Lanfranc, arch- 



300 CATECHISM OF PERSEVEUANCE. 

bishop of Canterbury ; 2d, the schism of Michael 
Cerularius, patriarch of Constantinople, who fostered 
the seeds of dissension left by Photius in the minds of 
some of his followers. The Greeks did not, however, 
separate entirely from the church at this time ; 3d, the 
persecutions of the Mahometans, who, becoming more 
formidable than ever, harassed the Christians of 
Egypt and Palestine. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — Conversion of 
The Hungarians. — Tintce of God. — Foundation of 
the Chartrevx. — Eleventh Century , continued. 

Q. How did God console the church ? 

A. During the eleventh century God consoled the 
church by the conversion of the Hungarians, a barbar- 
ous and very cruel people, who had ravaged Germany, 
Italy, and many other countries. 

Q. How^ w^as their conversion effected ? 

A. One of their kings received baptism and induced 
his subjects to follow his example. He educated in 
the Christian religion his son Stephen, w4io became 
Ihe apostle of Hungary, and was a great saint. 

Q. What other consolation did God give the church? 

A. Another consolation given by God to the church 
was the establishment of God's truce or the truce of 
God, by which every kind of combat was prohibited, 
from the evening of Wednesday till the morning of 
Monday of each week. This cessation from strife 
was the more necessary, as the Christians w^ere called 
on to unite in the crusades against the Saracens, 

Q. What were the crusades .? 

A. The crusades were the wars undertaken by the 
Christians to deliver the Holy Land from the yoke of 
the Saracens, who had possessed themselves of the 



I 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 301 

greatest part of Asia and Africa. Jerusalem had fallen 
into their power ; they had exercised the most frightful 
cruelties in that city, and were menacing the whole 
country. 

Q. Who was the first apostle of the crusades ? 

A. The first apostle of the crusades was a holy 
hermit named Peter, of the diocess of Amiens, whom 
the sovereign pontiff engaged to traverse Europe, in 
order to induce the kings and lords of the country to 
march against the Saracens. 

Q. What name was taken by those who engaged 
in these expeditions ? 

A. Those who engaged in these expeditions wore 
as their distinctive mark a cross of red stuff" on the 
shoulder ; for this reason they were called crossed, and 
the wars called crusades. The crossed or crusaders 
set out and took Jerusalem, and elected Godfrey of 
Bouillon king of the holy city. There were six prin- 
.' cipal crusades. 

Q. What were the advantages of the crusades ? 

A. The principal advantages of the crusades were : 
1st, to relieve the Christians who had become slaves to 
the infidels; 2d, to prevent the Saracens from getting 
possession of Europe and introducing there what they 
had introduced every where else, slavery, corruption 
and barbarism ; 3d, to develop the arts and sciences. 

Q. What religious order was established at this 
time ? ^ 

A. The religious order established at this time was 
that of the Chartreux or Carthusians. Whilst the cru- 
saders were marching to combat, holy solitaries started 
for the desert, there to implore the aid of God, expiate 
the scandals of the world, and secure victory for their 
brethren. 

Q. Who was the founder of the Chartreux or Car- 
thusians? 

A. The founder of the Carthusians was St. Bruno, 
chancellor of the church of Rheims, who retiied to a 
26 



802 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

frightful desert, called Chartreuse in the diocess of 
Grenoble, where he and his companions led the life of 
angels. St. Bruno died in 1101. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 
Christianity preserved and propagated. — Founding of 
the Order of St. Anthony. — Of the Knights of St, 
John, and Knights] of St. Lazarus. — Order of St. 
Bernard. — Eleventh and twe^th Centuries. 

Q. What is the order of St. Anthony of Vienne ? 

A. The order of St. Anthony of Vienne was an 
order instituted to relieve the sick suffering from the 
St. Anthony^s fire. It was an unknown and terrible 
disease, which ravaged Europe during the eleventh, 
twelfth and thirteenth centuries. 

Q' What other religious order was established at 
this time ? 

A. At this time, also, was established the order of 
the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. 

Q. What were their duties ? 

A. Their duties were two-fold, to take care of the 
sick, and to combat the Saracens. They made the 
vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and took an 
oath never to count the enemy ; they performed prodi- 
gies of valor. 

Q. Were they the only order devoted to the two- 
fold duty of nursing the sick and combating the 
infidels ? 

A. They were not the only order devoted to this 
two-fold duty. The Knights of St. Lazarus did the 
same thing; but they were specially devoted to the 
care of lepers. 

Q. What was the condition of the lepers? 

A. The lepers, driven out of the cities and from the 
habitations of men, wandered about the country, where 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 303 

the greatest part of them died of want and destitution. 
The Knights of St. Lazarus came to their succor, and, 
in order to secure to them better and more faithful 
attention, no one but an actual leper could be grand 
master of the order. This admirable charity recalls to 
our mind that of our Lord, who took upon himself 
our infirmities, in order to compassionate our infirmi- 
ties the more. 

Q. What saint was raised up to relieve the spiritual 
wants of the Christians ? 

A St. Bernard was raised up for the spiritual suc- 
cor of the Christians. He banished scandal, con- 
founded heretics and consoled the church. 

Q. Where was he born ? 

A. He was born at Chateau de Fontaines, near Dijon, 
and at the age of twenty-three entered the order of 
Citeaux (the Cistercians), with his brothers and thirty 
young noblemen, whom he had gained to Jesus Christ. 

Q. What did Bernard become at Citeaux ,' 

A. Bernard soon became the model of the whole 
community. In order to excite himself to the practice 
of virtue, he was accustomed to say to himself : Ber- 
nard, why hast thou come hither? St. Stephen, abbot of 
Citeaux, sent him w^ith twelve other religious to found 
the celebrated abbey of Clairvaux. 

Q. Where is Clairvaux? 

A. Clairvaux is in the diocess of Langres. It 
was the haunt of brigands. St. Bernard established 
himself there, built cells, and soon saw around him 
five hundred religious, animated wath the greatest 
devotion. 

Q. What were the principal virtues of St. Bernard ? 

A. The principal virtues of St. Bernard were, mild- 
ness towards others, severity towards himself, and 
devotion to the Blessed Virgin. He died at Clairvaux, 
at the age of sixty-three, the 20th of August, 1153. 



304 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — Founding of 
the Contemplative orders, — Founding of the Teutonic 
Knights and of the Religious of the Holy Trinity, — 
' Twelfth Century, continued, 

Q. How did God remedy the 'scandals which 
afflicted the church during the twelfth century ? 

A. God remedied the scandals which afflicted the 
church during the twelfth century, by the establish- 
ment of the contemplative orders, by the example of 
many great saints, and by the conversion of a large 
province in the north called Pomerania. 
^:- Q. How did God defend the church ? 
'A. God defended the church by the religious mili- 
tary orders ; in the north, by the Teutonic Knights ; 
in the east, by the Knights of the order of St. 
John of Jerusalem and of the order of St. Lazarus ; 
in the south, by those of St. John of the sword, those 
of Calatrava, of Alcantara and of Avis. 
,. Q. What vows did these latter orders make ? 

A. These latter orders made a vow to defend the 
immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin. During 
many centuries they were the rampart of the Chris- 
tians and the terror of the Saracens, w^ho, notwith- 
standing their efforts, made many captives. 

Q. How were these captives comforted .? 

A. They were comforted and redeemed by the order 
of the Holy Trinity, founded by St. John of Matha. 
He was born in the south of France, passed his youth 
in the practice of 'virtue, and having completed his 
studies at Paris with great success, entered the eccle- 
siastical state. The day he said his first mass in the 
presence of the bishop of Paris and many great per- 
sonages, God wrought a miracle to make known to 
him his vocation. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 305 

Q. What was this miracle ? 

A. At the elevation of the sacred host, an angel 
appeared in the shape of a young man — he was dressed 
in a white robe with a cross of red and blue on the 
breast, and his hand resting on two captives. The 
bishop of Paris sent St. John of Matha to Rome, to 
ask of the sovereign pontiff what was the will of God 
in the matter. 

Q. What did the sovereign pontiff do ? 

A. The sovereign pontiff ordered fasting and prayers 
and he himself celebrated the holy mysteries. At the 
elevation the same miraculous vision appeared, and 
the pope directed St. John of Matha to establish an 
order for the redemption of captives who were groan- 
ing under the yoke of the infidels. 

Q. Did the saint remain at Rome ? 

A. He did not remain at Rome — he returned to 
France, built a monastery, collected alms, and sent 
two of his religious to Africa to ransom the slaves — 
ihey brought back one hundred and eighty. The saint 
went thither himself, and ransomed a great number. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
Christianity preserved and propagated, — Founding of 
the Order of the Holy Ghost. — Council of Lateran. — 
Conversion of the Rugians, — Twelfth and thirteenth 
Centuries, 

Q. What orders of the Knights Hospitalers were 
established during the twefth century ? 

A. The orders of the Knights Hospitalers of the 
twelfth century were the orders of the Holy Ghost, of 
Albrac, and of the Bridge brothers. 

Q. What is the order of the Holy Ghost ? 

A. The order of the Holy Ghost is an order destined 
to comfort and relieve the sick. The most celebrated 
26* 



306 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

hospital of this order is that of the Holy Ghost, at 
Rome, in which many thousands of sick persons and 
exposed infants are provided for. 

Q. What is there remarkable near this monastery? 

A. Near this monastery there is a small open tower 
for the reception of the exposed infant. It is forbid- 
den under the severest penalties to ask the name or 
make any inquiry about the person who deposits the 
infant there, or even to follow with the eye the 
person when leaving the place. 

Q. What is the order of Albrac ? 

A. The order of Albrac was established for the bene- 
fit of pilgrims. It was founded in the south of France 
on a high mountain, and was composed of religious 
devoted to the care of sick pilgrims ; of knights to 
escort and defend the pilgrims from robbers ; and lastly 
of religious women, all ladies of distinction, whose 
duty it was to wash the feet of the pilgrims, clean 
their clothes and make their beds. 

Q. What was the order of the Bridge brothers } 

A. The end for which the order of Bridge brothers 
was established, was: 1st, to build bridges over the 
rivers ; 2d, to pass the travelers over in boats, which 
were always ready ; 3d, to receive, feed, and conduct 
them on their journey, 

Q. What heretics appeared in the twelfth century ? 

A. In the twelfth century several kinds of heretics 
appeared, amongst others, the Vaudois who sprang up 
at Lyons. They renounced their worldly goods, led 
a life apparently austere, said they were, forbidden to 
possess property, and pretended that every Christian 
was a priest. 

Q. In what council were they condemned .? 

A. They were condemned in the eleventh general 
council, held at Rome in the church of St. John of 
Lateran. But as the people were deceived by their 
apparent holiness, God raised up from among the peo- 
ple Jrue saints, to show which was the true church. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 307 

Of this number was St. Isidore the patron of laborers, 
and St. Drogon the patron of shepherds. The church 
was also consoled by the conversion of the Rugians, 
a people of the north. 

Q. What do you remark on the thirteenth century? 
' A. 1 remark that hell attacked the church with 
unheard of fury; but God came to the aid of his 
church. 

Q. In what manner ? 

A. He raised up great saints, and caused the estab- 
lishment of many religious orders, especially the four 
mendicant orders, namely, the Carmelites, the Fran- 
ciscans, the Dominicans and the Augustinians. They 
are called mendicant, because they live by receiving 
alms. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Christianity preserved and propagated, — Establishment 
of the Jour Mendicant Orders, Carmelites, Francis- 
cans, Dominicans, Augustinians. — St, Thomas, — 
Thirteenth Century, continued, 

Q,. What is the order of the Carmelites ? 

A. The order of Carmelites, composed of hermits 
living in cells, under the conduct of a superior, was 
first established in the east, whence it passed into the 
west, to come to the aid of the church, about the 
beginning of the thirteenth century. At the same 
time God raised up another defender of the church. 

Q. Who was he ? 

A. It w^as St. Francis of Assisium, founder of the 
Franciscans. He was born in Italy, gave all his 
goods to the poor, became one of the poor himself, and 
established an order, the end of which was to preach 
to the people, both by word and example, the three 



308 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

great virtues of Christianity, detachment, mortification 
and humility. 

Q. What are the names given to the religious of St. 
Francis ? 

A. The religious of St. Francis are called, accord- 
ing to the different countries : Minor Friars^ that is, 
lesser Friars, through humility ; Recollects^ on account 
of the solitude and recollection in which they live ; 
Cordeliers or Gray Friars, from the cord which they 
wear around them ; Capuchins, on account of the 
peculiar form of their habit or dress. 

Q. Who was St. Dominic ? 

A. St. Dominic was born in Spain of an illustrious 
family, and came to France to combat the heretical 
Albigenses. In order to obtain success he founded a 
religious order, the purpose of which was to preach 
the gospel, convert heretics, and announce feligion to 
the infidels. The religious of this order are, on this 
account, called preaching friars or Dominicans. 

Q. What was the fourth order that God sent to the 
aid of the church ? 

A. It was the order of the Augustinians, thus called, 
because the different congregations, which united to 
constitute the order, adopted the rule of St. Augustin. 

Q. Who was St. Thomas ? 

A. St. Thomas, sent by God to defend the truth, 
was born in Italy, and entered the order of the Domin- 
icans, where his reputation for science and sanctity 
was soon the object of general admiration. He 
taught theology a long time at Paris, composed many 
works on theology and piety, amongst others the office 
of the Blessed Sacrament, and died at the age of forty- 
eight years. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 309 

CHAPTER XL. 
Christianity preserved and propagated. — St, Louis, 
St. Ferdinand. — General Councils of Lateran and 
Lyons. — Religiom of Mercy. — Thirteenth Century, 
continued. 

Q. Who was St. Louis ? 

A. St. Louis, king of France, was the son of 
Louis VII L He was born in 1215, and was baptized 
at Poissy. It was on this account he signed his let- 
ters Louis of Poissy ; to show thereby that he pre- 
ferred the title of Christian to that of king of France. 

Q. VVhat words did his mother, the queen, fre- 
quently repeat to him ? 

A. Queen Blanche, his mother, whilst he was 
young, frequently repeated to him these beautiful 
words: "My son, I love you very tenderly; but I 
would prefer to see you fall dead at my feet, rather 
than to see you commit one single mortal sin." Louis 
profited so well by these lessons, that he preserved 
during life his baptismal innocence. 

Q. What did he do when he became king .? 

A. Having ascended the throne of France, he de- 
voted himself to the promotion of religion and the 
happiness of his subjects. He gave to the great an 
example of every virtue ; prevented the further 
progress of heresy, and banished scandal out of his 
kingdom. 

Q,. What else did he do ? 
. A. He continued the holy war which the Christians 
were waging against the infidels. He set out for 
Palestine ; landed in Egypt, took Damietta, and was 
made prisoner. Whilst in captivity, he astonished the 
barbarians by his greatness of soul and his justice. 
He returned afterwards to France, and again set out 
for Africa, where he died near Tunis, as a truly Chris- 



310 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

tian king, leaving many salutary instructions for his 
son. 

Q. Who was St. Ferdinand ? 

A. Whilst St Louis, king of France, was defending 
the church and edifying the great ones of the earth, 
St. Ferdinand, king of Castile and Leon, was doing the 
same in Spain. He conquered a great many cities 
from the infidels, and re-peopled them w^ith Christians. 

Q. ItTow was the church still further consoled ? 

A. The church was still further consoled and her 
losses repaired by the conversion of Livon'a, Cumania, 
and a part of Prussia; so that whatever she has lost 
on one side she has always gained on another. 

Q. What general councils were held during the 
thirteenth century ? 

A. The general councils of the thirteenth century 
were the fourth council of Lateran and the first and 
second of Lyons, in which the church confirmed the 
good done by the religious orders and the saints of 
whom we have spoken, and endeavored to bring back 
the Greeks to the unity of faith. 

Q. What is the order of our Lady of Mercy ? 

A. The order of our Lady of Mercy had for its end 
the ransom of captives from the infidels, St. Peter 
Nolasco, like St. John of Matha, a Frenchman by 
birth, was the founder. His religious made the vow 
to remain in slavery among the infidels when necessary 
for the ransom of captives. 



CHAPTER XLI. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — Founding of 

the Cellite Friars and of the Order of St, Bridget. 

Fourteenth Century. 

Q. What do you remark on the fourteenth century ? 
A. 1 remark that the war of hell against the church 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 311 

was both violent and obstinate. A ^schism of forty 
years, and heresies afflicted the church, which God de- 
fended and consoled by new religious orders, saints, 
martyrs, and the conversion of new nations. 

Q. What were some of the religious orders of the 
fourteenth century ? 

A. The first was the order of the Cellites, that is, 
brothers of the tomh, or burying brothers ; whose duty 
it was to nurse the sick, dress the dead, give them 
burial, and recite for them each day the office of the 
dead. 

Q. What particular vow did they make ? 

A. Besides the three usual religious vows, they 
tnade a vow never to desert the couch of pestilence ; 
thus proving the charity and holiness of the true 
church ; for heretics have never done any thing of the 
kind. 

Q. What is the order of St. Bridget ? 

A. The order of St. Bridget was established to draw 
down upon the Christian world the special protection 
of the Blessed Virgin, and secure her all-powerful aid 
against heresy. It was founded by St. Bridget, 
princess of Sweden, whose revelations may piously be 
believed. 

Q. Who were the other defenders of the church .? 

A. The other defenders of the church during the 
fourteenth century were the great saints, whom God 
Raised up, to prove by the splendor of their virtues 
the holiness of the Catholic church ; among others, 
w^as St. Elzear, and St. Delphina, his wife. 

Q. Who was St. Elzear ? 

A. St. Elzear was count of Arian. Pious, modest, 
amiable in conversation ; truly brave in war ; he was a 
father to the poor and to domestics. St. Delphina 
imitated the good example of her husband, and they 
lived thus perfectly united, and in the practice of every 
virtue. 



312 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

CHAPTER XLII. 

Christianity preserved and propagated, — Generai 
Council of Fienne. — St, Elizabethy St. John JVepo- 
mucen, — Conversion of a portion of Tartary. — 
Conversion of Lithuania, — Fourteenth Century, con- 

' tinu^d. 

Q. What general council was held in the fourteenth 
century ? 

A. The general council held in the fourteenth cen- 
tury was that of Vienne, in Dauphiny ; it is the fif- 
teenth oecumenical council. In it the church displayed 
her solicitude for society, by condemning the heretics 
w^ho disturbed it; by reforming morals, and encour- 
aging the sciences. During this time holiness shone 
brilliantly on the throne in the person of St. Elizabeth. 

Q. Who was St. Elizabeth ? 

A. St. Elizabeth was queen of Portugal. This 
pious princess divided so admirably her time that she 
was able to attend to her pious devotions without 
neglecting the obligations of her station. 

Q. What were her occupations ? 

A. Her favorite occupation was to make up linen 
and ornaments for the church ; to find out and succor 
the unhappy, and those who were strangers; and 
especially , those among the poor whose former con- 
dition rendered it painful for them to be known. Her 
angelic mildness gained over the heart of her husband, 
whom she had the happiness to bring back to God. 

Q. What was her life after the death of her husband ? 

A. After the death of her husband, her life shone 
forth in so many heroic virtues that she became a 
living witness to the sanctity of the Catholic church; 
to which the death of many martyrs bore a still more 
glorious testimony. 

Q. Who were these martyrs ? 

A. These martyrs were three young Lithuanian 



CATECHISM OF PEESEVERANCE. 313 

noblemen, named Anthony, John and Eustachius, born 
in idolatry ; but who, being converted, preferred to 
suffer death rather than eat meat on a day forbidden 
by the church. There was another martyr still more 
celebrated. 

Q. Who was he ? 

A. He was St. John Nepomucen, canon of Prague, 
who died a niartyr to the secrecy of confession. 

Q. Did the blood of the- martyrs produce new 
Christians ? 

A. The blood of the martyrs produced new Chris- 
tians. A part of Tartary or northern China, Bulgaria 
and Lithuania were converted to the faith and consoled 
the church for the losses sustained by heresy and 
the great western schism. 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — Council of 
Constance. — St. Vincent Ferrier. — Founding of the 
Order of the Voluntary Poor. — Fifteenth Century. 

Q,. What were the assaults sustained by the church 
during the fifteenth century } 

A. The assaults sustained by the church during the 
fifteenth centuiy w^ere those made upon her by heresies 
and scandals. Wickliff", John Huss, Jerome of Prague, 
spread everywhere the most dangerous errors; at- 
tacked the authority of the church, the sacjaments, and 
the most holy practices ; meantime the great schism of 
the west continued. 

Q. What defenders did God give to the church .' 

A. The principal defenders whom God gave to the 
church were the clergy of England, the fathers of the 
council of Constance, and especially St. Vincent 
Ferrier. 
27 



314 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Who was he ? 

A. St. Vincent Ferrier was a Spaniard, and a Do- 
minican religious; so holy, so eloquent, that the sov- 
ereign pontiff appointed him apostolic preacher. During 
forty years he traversed Spain, France, Piedmont, 
Germany and England ; roused all Europe, and con- 
verted a large number of Jews, Mahometans, heretics 
and sinners. 

Q. Who put an end to the great schism of the west ? 

A. The council of Constance, held in 1414, put an 
end to the great schism of the west ; and for very 
wise reasons suppressed the communion of the cup. 

Q. In what manner did God come to the further aid 
of the church ? 

A. God came to the further aid of the church by the 
establishment of thirty-seven congregations or religious 
orders, destined to oppose the true virtues of Chris- 
tians to the false virtues of heretics; such particularly 
was the order of the voluntary poor. 

Q. How did they live ? 

A. They gave away all their property, labored 
much, receiving no compensation for their labor, but 
preferring to trust to Providence for their support, and 
live by alms. They were also devoted to the care ol 
the sick. 

Q. Who were the Black Penitents ^ 

A. The Black Penitents, or Penitents of Mercy, de- 
voted themselves to the consolation of criminals con- 
demned to death, and prepared them to die well. Thus 
religion overlooks none of the conditions of human 
misery. Following the example of Rome, where these 
confraternities were first established, other parts of 
Christendom formed similar associations. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 315 

CHAPTER XLIV. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — Founding of 
the Order of Minims. — Council of Florence — Dis- 
covery of America, — Fifteenth Century, continued, 

Q. Who was St. Francis of Paula ? 

A. St. Francis, of Paula, one of the great consola- 
tions of the church in the fifteenth century, was born 
in Italy ; retired to a solitude, where he led the most 
austere life, and founded the order of the Minims. 
Il Q. What was the purpose of this order? 

A. The purpose of this order was lo revive charity 
almost extinguished in the hearts of a great number of 
Christians, and to repair the scandalous violation of 
the laws of fasting and abstinence. For this reason 
the Minims added the vow of perpetual lent to the 
vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 

Q. Where did St. Francis of Paula die ? 

A. St. Francis of Paula died in France, whither he 
had come by order of the sovereign pontiff to assist on 
his death-bed, Louis XI, who died in his arms. The 
miracles and sanctity of St. Francis of Paula and his 
numerous disciples consoled the church, and aided her 
to support new trials. 

Q. What were these trials ? 

A. These trials were the ruin of the empire of Con- 
stantinople and the conquests of the Mahometans. 
During tive hundred years the Greeks seemed to wish 
a re-union with the church of Rome ; especially at the 
council of Florence, where they signed the same pro- 
fession of faith with the Latins, but to which they 
proved unfaithful. 

Q. What did the Lord do ? 
^ A. The Lord, weary of their iniquities, sent against 
them Mahomet II, emperor of the Turks, who took 
Constantinople, reduced all Greece to servitude, and was 



316 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

preparing to seize upon other provinces, having made a 
vow to exterminate entirely the Christian name ; but 
God came to the help of the church. Mahomet was 
conquered by the knights of Rhodes, and died mis- 
erably. 

Q. How did God compensate the church ? 

A. God compensated the church for the loss of the 
Greek empire, 1st, by the conversion of Samogitia, 
which was brought into the one fold by Jagellon, king 
of Poland ; 2d, by the preaching of the Gospel in the 
interior of Africa and in the Canaries ; 3d, by the dis- 
covery of America, where the gospel soon made rapid 
conquests. 



CHAPTER XLV. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — Combat of 

the Church of Rome with Protestantism, 

Sixteenth Century. 

Q, What do you remark on the sixteenth century ? 

A. I remark that the church had a great combat to 
sustain in the sixteenth century. She was attacked 
by Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, and Henry Vlll. 

Q. Who was Luther .' 

A. Luther was a German religious of the Augus- 
tinian order, who violated his three vows of poverty, 
chastity and obedience; he apostatized, married a nun, 
and commenced declaiming against the Catholic church. 

Q. What did he write previous' to his condemnation ? 

A. Previous to his condemnation he had written to 
the sovereign pontiff, that he would receive his decis- 
ion as an oracle from the mouth of Jesus Christ, but 
scarcely had Leo X condemned his errors when he gave 
vent to the most vile abuse against him, against the 
bishops and Catholic theologians, impudently pretend- 
ing^ that he alone was more enlightened than the whole 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 



317 



Christian world. He persevered in preaching error, 
and after having led a scandalous life, died on leav- 
ing the table, where he had, as usual, gorged himself 
with wine and meats. 

Q. Who was Zuinglius ? 

A. Zuinglius was a curate of the church of Our 
Lady of the Hermits, in Switzerland, preached at 
Zurich the errors of Luther, permitted all kinds of dis- 
orders, had the effrontery to marry publicly, and was 
killed in a battle lost by his partisans, although he 
had promised them a victory. 

Q. Who was Calvin ? 

A. Calvin was an ecclesiastic of Noyon ; but was 
never a priest. He went to Bourges, where he adopted 
the errors of Luther, to which he added his own ; he 
settled in Geneva where he burnt to death Michael Ser- 
vetus, who had the courage to differ from him, and 
finally died himself of a shameful disease. 

Q. Who was Henry VIII ? 

A. Henry VIII was king of England. A slave to 
his passions, he wished the pope to annul his lawful 
marriage, but the pope refused. Upon this the king 
declared himself the head of the church in England, 
drew his people into schism and soon after into heresy. 

Q. How do you show that Protestantism or the 
religion preached by Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin and 
Henry VIII, is not the true religion ? 

A. In order to show ttiat Protestantism is a false 
religion, or rather no religion at all, it will be suffi- 
cient simply to bear in mind: 1st, that it was estab- 
lished by four great libertines ; 2d, that it owes its 
origin to the love of honors, covetousness of the goods 
of others and the love of sensual pleasures, three 
things forbidden by the gospel ; 3d, that it permits 
you to believe whatever you please, and to do what- 
ever you believe ; 4th, that it has caused immense evils, 
deluged Germany, France, Switzerland and England 
with blood ; it leads to impiety, and finally to indifler- 
27* 



318 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

ence, the source of all revolutions past and future. 
We must, therefore, be on our guard against those 
who preach it, and cherish a horror for the books 
which disseminate it. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — Founding of 
the Brothers of St. John of God and of the Jesuits, — 
St, Francis Xavier, — Sixteenth Century , continued. 

Q. How did God justify the church from the 
reproaches made her by the Protestants ? 

A. God justified the church by causing her to per- 
form the most striking works of charity and holiness, 
which proved that she was always the true spouse of 
Jesus Christ. 

Q. Can you name some of these works } 

A. The principal were, the founding of many relig- 
ious orders for the relief of the sick, and the missions, 
which gave to heaven a great many martyrs. 

Q. Who was St. John of God ? 

A. St. John of God was born in Portugal in 1495, 
be became a soldier and lost the fear of God, but being 
soon converted he gave himself up to the service of 
the poor. 

Q, What order did he found? 

A. He founded a religious order which bears his 
name, and which devotes itself to the care of tha 
insane. 

Q. Who was St. Ignatius ? 

A. St. Ignatius was a Spanish officer, who was 
wounded at the siege of Pampeiuna the same year Lu- 
ther commenced preaching his heresy ; he was con- 
verted by the reading of some pious books, consecrated 
himself to God and went to Paris, where he laid the 
foundation of a new religious order called the society 
of Jesus. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 319 

Q. What is the design of this society ? 

A. The design of the Society of Jesus is to instruct 
youth and to convert heretics and infidels. Its reli- 
gious make the vow of obedience to the sovereign 
pontiff, to go on the missions whithersoever he may 
think proper to send them. 

Q. Who was St. Francis Xavier ? 

A. St. Francis Xavier was a young Spanish noble- 
man, very distinguished for his talents. He was pro- 
fessor of philosophy at Paris when St. Ignatius arrived 
there, who converted him by repeating to him these 
words of the Saviour : What doth it profit a man if ht 
gain the whole world and lose his own soul, 

Q. What did Xavier do ? 

A. Xavier became the disciple of St. Ignatius, and 
went to preach the faith in the Indies at the moment 
when Germany, England and a part of France were 
losing the light of the gospel. 

Q. What was the success of St. Francis Xavier ? 

A. St. Francis Xavier converted a countless multi- 
tude of infidels in the Indies and Japan, and died just 
as he was entering China in 1552, at the age of forty- 
six. His body was carried to the city of Goa, where 
it remains untainted by corruption. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 

Christianity preserved and propagated — Council of 
Trent. — St. Charles BorromeOi St. Theresa. — The 
Ursullnes. — End of the sixteenth Century. 

Q. Why was the council of Trent assembled ? 

A. The council of Trent, the eighteenth and last gen- 
eral council, composed of two hundred and thirty-eight 
bishops, was assembled to condemn the heresies of 
Protestants and to reform the morals of Catholics. 
The wise regulations which it established were car- 



320 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

ried into practice, in different countries, by the great 
saints whom God raised up ; among them was St. 
Charles Borromeo. 

Q. Who was St. Charles Borromeo ? 

A. St. Charles Borromeo, archbishop of Milan, was 
the great restorer of ecclesiastical discipline and the 
model of charity, of which he gave striking proofs du- 
ring the pestilence of Milan. Whilst he maintained in 
all its splendor the virtue of the clergy, St. Theresa 
rendered that of the monasteries no less conspicuous. 

Q. Who was St. Theresa ? 

A. St. Theresa, who reformed the order of Mt. Car- 
*mel, or Carmelites, was born in Spain. Educated 
piously, she came near being lost by the reading of 
novels ; but, touched by the grace of God, she became 
religious, led a life wholly angelic and revived the fer- 
vor of a great many monasteries. 

Q. What is the congregation of the Ursulines ? 

A. The congregation of the Ursulines was estab- 
lished by the blessed Angela of Brescia to bring sinners 
back to virtue, instruct the ignorant and diffuse through 
the world the good odor of Jesus Christ. It rendered 
very great service to the church, as did the religious 
orders established at that time for the relief of corporeal 
miseries. 

Q. Name some of these orders ? 

A. 1st, The Brothers Hospitalers, devoted to nurs- 
ing the sick ; 2d, the iSomasgwes, a religious community 
who afforded relief and consolation to the unhappy of 
every kind ; 3d, the Brothers of a good death, founded 
by St. Camillus de Lellis, who devoted themselves to 
procuring for the sick the grace of a good death. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 321 

CHAPTER XLVIII. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — St, Francis 
of Sales. — Missions of America and the Levant, — 
St. Vincent of Paul, — Seventeenth Century, 

Q. How did God punish the countries which had 
abandoned the faith ? 

A. God punished the countries which had aban- 
doned the faith, by calamities such as we do not read 
of elsewhere in their histories, whilst at the same 
time his goodness consoled the church, by giving her 
a great saint, destined to revive piety in the world, as 
St. Charles had revived it in the clergy and St. The- 
resa in the cloister. 

Q. Who was he ? 

A. St. Francis of Sales, bishop of Geneva. He was 
born in Savoy of a noble family, and showed from his 
infancy a piety and purity of morals which merited for 
him the special protection of the B. Virgin; he em- 
braced the ecclesiastical state and devoted himself en- 
tirely to the conversion of heretics, of whom he had 
the happiness to bring back to the faith, seventy 
thousand. 

Q. What order did he found ? 

A. He founded, in concert with St, Jane Chantal, the 
order of the Visitation, in which is perpetuated the 
spirit of piety, mildness and charity, which distin- 
guished the most amiable saint of these latter times. 

Q. What other consolations did God give the 
church ? 

A. The other consolations which God gave to the 
church was the success of the missionaries. Some con- 
verted a great portion of America and formed ihtReduc- 
tions of Paraguay, where the innocence of the first 
Christians was seen to shine in all its pristine brilliancy, 
whilst others converted large provinces in the east. 



322 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Who was St. Vincent of Paul ? 

A. St. Vincent of Paul was born in Gascony, and 
in his youth was employed as a swineherd. God 
drew him from obscurity, and called him to the priest- 
hood. 

Q. What happened to him after he was ordained 
priest ? 

A. After his ordination he was captured by the 
Turks and reduced to slavery at Tunis ; but he coif- 
verted his master and accompanied by him returned to 
France, where he afforded relief to every species of 
affliction and established a congregation for the benefit 
of the unfortunate in life and after death. The mem- 
bers are called Sisters of St. Vincent of Paul. 

Q. What further did he do .' 

A. He established, also, a company of missionaries 
to afford spiritual succor to the poor inhabiting the 
country, and men to carry the light of faith to the infi- 
dels — they are called Lazarists. Lastly, he fed many 
provinces desolated by famine and war ; he has done 
more good than all the philosophers together ever 
thought of. 

CHAPTER XLIX. 

Christianity preserved and propagated. — Martyrs of 
Japan. — Orders of La Trappe and of Refuge, — 
Seventeenth Century t continued. 

Q. Had the church any martyrs in the seventeenth 
century ? 

A. The church had martyrs in the seventeenth cen- 
tury. The most illustrious were those of Japan, of 
which country St. Francis Xavier and his companions 
had converted nearly all the inhabitants. 

Q. At what period was the persecution most violent.^ 

A. The persecution was most violent in 1622. But 
the Christians every where displayed an admirable 
desire of martyrdom. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 323 

Q. Give some instances ? 

A. A poor woman sold her girdle in order to buy a 
post to which she might be tied and burnt alive for the 
faith ; and children of five and even four years of age 
astonished their executioners by their constancy. The 
church, consoled by so many victories, had soon to 
weep over another heresy. 

Q. What heresy ? 

A. The heresy of Jansenius, bishop of Ypres, who 
maintained in a printed work that man is not free, and 
that it is impossible for him to keep some of the com- 
mandments of God. The Jansenists endeavored to 
withhold the people from the sacraments by exagerat- 
ing the dispositions necessary to receive them. ^ 

Q. How was the church defended ? 

A. To defend the truth against the Jansenists, the 
chief of whom were Arnaud, Nicole and Quesnel, God 
raised up two illustrious bishops, Bossuet andFenelon, 
and to expiate the outrages offered to good morals by 
scandalous sinners, he caused a new congregation to 
be founded. 

Q. What congregation? 

A. The congregation of La Trappe, founded by a 
young ecclesiastic named Armand de Ranee. Whilst 
the life of the Trappists, more angelic than human, 
was expiating the crimes of the world, God opened an 
asylum for penitent females. 

Q. What asylum was this ? 

A. This asylum was the order of Our Lady of Ref- 
uge, into which were received unfortunate females and 
also females of unsullied virtue, in order to lessen the 
humiliation of the former. They all lived in commu- 
nity and called one another sisters ; for, in the eyes of 
religion, repentance is the sister of innocence. 



324 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

CHAPTER L. 
Christianity preserved and propagated, — Founding of 
the Brothers of the Christian Schools and of the 
Order of the Holy Redeemer. — Missions in China 
and America. — Eighteenth Century, 

Q. How was the church attacked in the eighteenth 
century ? 

A. The church was attacked in the eighteenth cen- 
tury by libertinism, Jansenism and by the philosophers. 

Q. How did God come to the succor of the faith ? 

A. God came to the succor of the faith by raising up 
learned doctors who refuted the apostles of error, and 
by giving birth to many religious congregations tor the 
instruction of youth, especially that of the Christian 
brothers. 

Q. Who was the founder ? 

A. The founder was the Abbe La Salle, canon 
of Rheims, who drew up for the brothers rules far 
superior to those given by men of the world for the 
instruction of youth. The order of the brothers con- 
tributed much to the preservation of the faith among 
the people during the last century, which witnessed 
the establishment in Italy of another order for the 
defence and propagation ot the truth. 

Q. What order was that] 

A. It was the order of the Most Holy Redeemer, 
destined to evangelize the poor inhabitants of the 
country. It w^as founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori, 
bishop of St. Agatha, in the kingdom of Naples, whom 
God had raised up to defend the truth against the im- 
pious, and present a barrier to Jansenism, which was 
sapping the principles of morality and drying up the 
fountailis of piety by alienating the faithful from the 
sacraments. 

Q. Did impiety make any conquests ? 

A. Impiety made conquests, especially in France. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 325 

To compensate the church, missionaries converted in 
China a great many persons; among whom was a 
branch of the imperial family, which, during the per- 
secution, displayed the courage of the first Christians. 

Q. What were the other conquests of the faith ? 

A. The other conquests of the faith were the con- 
version and civilization of many savage nations in 
America, and particularly of the Illinois. 

Q. What was the character of the savages before 
their conversion? 

A. The character of these savages before their con- 
version was of the most revolting barbarity. They ate 
their prisoners, whom they roasted at a slow fire, 
after having pulled off their nails and cut off their 
fingers and ears. After their conversion, they became 
gentle, hospitable and very pious. 



CHAPTER LI. 
Christianity presei-ved and propagated. — Many Apolo- 
gists for religion. — Madame Louise of France,^ 
Eighteenth Centwiji continued, 

Q. Did the church enjoy her conquests in peace ? 

A. The church did not enjoy her conquests in peace. 
She was attacked by an impious sect, known by the 
name of philosophers; who, developing the worst 
principles of Luther and Calvin, denied the best estab- 
lished truths and the most sacred duties of man. 

Q. What more did they do ? 

A. They formed a league against religion, and en- 
deavored to show that religion was opposed to the 
sciences; but they did not succeed. The most famous 
^ of these philosophers were Voltaire and Rousseau. 

Q. What was the life of Voltaire ? 

A. The life of Voltaire was unworthy not only of a 
28 



326 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Christian, but even of an upright man. He was born 
near Paris, and finished his studies in that city. On 
leaving college, his conduct was such that his father 
drove him from the paternal roof and sent him to Hol- 
land ; whence he was sent back on account of his 
libertinism. After he returned to Paris, his misconduct 
caused him to be put in prison ; he cheated one book- 
seller, ruined another by a roguish imposition, and 
gave himself up to all the corruption of his heait and 
all his hatred of religion, until his death which 
occurred in 1778. 

Q. What was his death ? 

A. His death was that of a man in the deepest 
despair. He was heard frequently repeating, in par- 
oxysms of fuiy, the following words : / am abandoned 
by God and man. He had asked for a priest, but his 
associates would not suffer a priest to enter his room. 
Q. Who was Rousseau ? 

A. Jean Jaques Rousseau, the second patriarch of 
impiety, was born at Geneva. Addicted to vice from 
his infancy, he became an habitual thief; abjured Pro- 
testantism to embrace the Catholic religion, which he 
left to return to Protestantism, and lived during twenty- 
five years in open libertinism. 

Q. What do you say of his works ? 
A. His works are so infamous, that the Protestants 
of Geneva, his native place, had the principal ones 
burnt by the public executioner. 
Q. How did he die ? 

A. Rousseau ended his career by a death worthy of 
his life; he first took poison, and then shot himself. 

Q. By whom were Voltaire and Rousseau refuted ? 
Bergier, Nonotte, Bullet and Guenee ; who avenged 
A. Voltaire and Rousseau were solidly refuted by 
the truth, whilst Providence expiated, in a signal man- 
ner, the crimes engendered by false philosophy. 

Q. Who was the principal victim by whom God 
expiated these crimes ] 
A. The principal victim was Madame Louise, of 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 327 

France, daughter of Louis XV ; who, in the bloom o! 
youth, quit the palace of Versailles to enter among the 
Carmelites at St, Denis, where she spent her life in 
prayers, fasting, and the practice of all the austerities 
of penance. 



CHAPTER LII . 
ChrUtiaaity preserved and propagated. — The Clergy 
of France. — Martyrs of the revolution. — Missions of 
Corea, — End of the eighteenth century. 

Q. What afflictions did the church suflfer at the 
close of the eighteenth century ? 

A. At the close of the eighteenth century the church 
suffered from schism, persecution and scandal. Im- 
piety, in its triumph, wished to establish a church, in* 
accordance with its principles, and therefore drew up a 
schismatical formula, entitled. The Civil Constitulion 
of the Clergy, requiring every priest to take the oath 
of fidelity to this constitution. 

Q. What further did the impious do ? 

A. They put to death all the priests and bishops 
who remained faithful to the churchy and amongst 
them the holy archbishop of Aries, and the venerable 
Abbe Fenelon, father of orphans. Those of the 
clergy who escaped the scaffold were thrown into 
loathsome prisons, fed on bread and water, loaded with 
insults, and finally condemned to transportation. 

Q. What more did impiety do ? 

A. At the same time impiety attacked God himself; 
placed on the altars women of public infamy, before 
whom the people were forced to prostrate themselves; 
and to whom incense was offered, as to the Almighty 
God. 

Q. Did impiety stop here ? 



328 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

A. No, impiety did not stop here. In its rage 
against the church, it attacked the person of the 
sainted Pius VI ; who, at the age of eighty years, was 
dragged from prison to prison to Valence, in Dauphiny, 
where he died from the il! treatment he had received. 

Q. How did God avenge his church? 

A. God avenged his church hy pouring down upon 
France a deluge of evils, such as had never been wit- 
nessed, and by the destruction of the persecutors, who, 
like the lyrants in the first ages, perished by a horrible 
death ; the greater portion of them lost their heads on 
the scaffold ; others were devoured by dogs, and others 
eaten up by worms. 

Q. What were the consolations of the church ? 

A. The church was consoled, 1st, by the miraculous 
election of a new pope ; whose extraordinary character 
saved the bark of St. Peter from the mighty tempest 
by which it was tossed ; 2d, by the conversion of a 
great number of Protestants; 3d, by the rapid propa- 
gation of the faith in America and in Corea. 



COURSE FOURTH. 

CHAPTER I. 

Christianity visible. — JVecessity and advantages of 
exterior worship, 

Q. What is worship ? 

A. Worship is the aggregate testimony of the re- 
spect, adoration, love and confidence which we pay to 
God. 

Q How many kinds of w^orship are there ? 

A. There are two kinds of worship ; interior wor- 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 329 

ship, which consists in the sentiments of faith, hope, 
adoration, and love, which we owe to God; and 
exterior worship, which is the manifestation of these 
sentiments. 

Q. What are ceremonies? 

A. Ceremonies are exterior and mysterious actions; 
established to accompany exterior worship, and to 
render it more august, more expressive, and sublime. 

Q. What is a rite ? 

A. A rite is a ceremony performed according to 
the order prescribed by the church. Hence we say 
Roman rite, or Parisian rite, to designate the cere- 
monies as performed at Rome, or at Paris. 

Q. What is the liturgy ? 

A. The liturgy is the aggregate ceremonies employed 
in the divine service. The word liturgy signifies the 
action by excellence ; because the divine service is the 
most noble action we can perform, since it unites or 
connects us with God. 

Q. Why is exterior worship necessary ? 

A. Exterior worship is absolutely necessary; 1st, 
because man owes to God the homage of. both soul and 
body ; the soul honors God by interior w^orship, and 
the body by exterior worship; 2d, because man, not 
being a pure spirit, needs the aid of sensible things, by 
which to raise himself up to spiritual things. 

Q. What is the first advantage of exterior worship ? 

A. The first advantage of ^exterior worship is to 
remind man, unceasingly, of those truths which it 
most behooves him to know, love and practice. 

Q. How do you explain this? 

A- Under the patriarchs, exterior worship reminded 
man of the creation of the world, the unity of God, 
his providence, and a future life. Under the law of 
Moses, man was reminded that God was not only the 
master of all nature, but that he was the arbiter of 
nations; and that he rewards or punishes infallibly, 
according to our works. 
28* 



330 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. Of what truths are we reminded by exterior wor- 
ship under the gospel ? 

A. Under the gospel, exterior worship reminds us of 
all the great truths revealed to the patriarchs and to 
Moses ; it reminds us of all the mysteries of our Lord, 
and of all the duties which we are hound to fulfil 
towards God, our neighbor, and ourselves. 



CHAPTER II. 

Christianity visible.—Mvantages of exterior worship, 
continued, — Origin of ceremonies. 

Q,. What is the second advantage of exterior 
worship ? 

A. The second advantage of exterior worship is to 
settle the truths of religion, and place them beyond 
the reach of heretical innovations. 

Q. What is the third advantage of exterior worship ? 

A. The third advantage of exterior worship is to 
render men better, by bringing them together, to in- 
struct them in their duties to God, to their neighbor, 
and to themselves. If there were no churches, no 
Sunday, no obligation to assist at mass, mankind 
would soon become wicked and dangerous to society. 

Q. What is the origin of the ceremonies which ac- 
company the worship of the Catholic church ? 

A. The origin of the ceremonies which accompany 
the worship of the Catholic church is divine; it is God 
himself who, in the person of Jesus Christ, has estab- 
lished them ; Or through the apostles, or their success- 
ors, filled with the Holy Ghost and clothed with his 
power. 

Q. How happens it that the ceremonies are not the 
same every where ? 

A. The ceremonies are not the same every where ; 
because, besides those which are essential and which 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 331 

never change, there are others which are not essential, 
and which may change according to times and places. 
So far from injuring the unity of religion, this diver- 
sity shows forth the beauty of the church in brighter, 
bolder relief. 

Q. Are the ceremonies of the church worthy of our 
respect and love ? 

A. The ceremonies of the church are worthy of our 
respect and our love on account of their origin, the 
advantages they afford us, and the glory which thence 
redounds to God. 

Q. Why should we study the ceremonies ? 

A. We should study the ceremonies because they 
have been instituted for our instruction and edifica- 
tion, and to aid us to understand and love religion by 
means of sensible images. 



CHAPTER 111. 
Christianity visible.— Of Churches. 

Q. What places were consecrated to the honor of 
God among the Jews } 

A. Amongst the Jews the places consecrated to the 
honor of God were the tabernacle, the temple of 
Solomon, in which were beheld all that could strike 
the senses, and inspire the Jews with great love and 
profound respect for God. 

Q. And amongst Christians? 

A. Amongst Christians it is the churches which 
present the most striking symbols of the goodness of 
God ; the cross, the altar, the communion rail, the 
baptismal font. 

Q. Why are churches ornamented } 

A. Churches are ornamented, 1st, to captivate onr 
senses and inspire us with a sublime idea of God ; 2d, 
in order to testify to God that we hold all our riches 
from him. 



332 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q,. Into how many parts were the churches of the 
first Christians divided ? 

A. The churches of the first Christians were divided 
into seven parts ; the first, called the porch or exterior 
vestibule^ was a space greater in length than in 
breadth ; it was at the entrance of the church, covered 
with a roof and supported by columns. 

Q. What was the second? 

A. The second was the cloister. From the vestibule 
you entered the cloister ; which was a covered gallery, 
encircling the third part, called the parvis or court. 

Q. What was the third part ? 

A. The third part of the church was the parvis; a 
square court or space open above. In the centre was 
a font of blessed water ; in which those who entered 
washed their hands and face. This font is replaced in 
modern churches by the vase of holy water. 

Q. What was the fourth ? 

A. The fourth part of the church was the interior 
vestibule; this space was reserved for the penitents, 
called auditors^ for the pagans, Jews and heretics, who 
could there hear the word of God. 

Q. What was the fifth ? 

A. The fifth part of the church was the nave. This 
part of the church is called the nave, that is, vessel 
or ship, because the church is a vessel voyaging over 
the sea of the world until it reaches the port of eter- 
nity. The nave was divided in its whole length by 
two partitions ; on the left were the men, and on the 
right the women. 

Q. What was the sixth ? 

A. The sixth part of the church was the choir; it 
was separated from the nave by a grate. The choir 
was semi-circular, and contained the seats for the 
ecclesiastics and the bishop's throne. 

Q. What was the seventh ? 

A The seventh part was the i^anctiiary ; it was 
separated from the choir by a curtain, which was 



CATECHISM OF TERSEVERANCE. 333 

opened after the consecration. In the sanctuary \^'as 
the altar. 

Q. What was there at the side of the altar ? 

A. At the side of the principal altar there was a 
Fmall altar, on which were placed the hread and wine 
offered hy the faithful for the holy sacrifice. The 
above arrangement of the churches was on the model 
of the suhterranean chapels of the catacombs, where 
the first Christians w^ere accustomed to assemble. This 
should render our churches venerable in our eyes. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Christianity visible. — Churches, continued. 

Q. Why is it proper we should understand the dif- 
ferent things in our churches.' 

A. It is proper we should understand the different 
things in our churches; otherwise these holy places 
would be to us like profane places, which would not 
speak to our hearts. 

Q. Of what do the crypt and altar remind us ? 

A. The crypti (which is a subterranean chapel, 
found under the principal altar in the old churches,) 
and the altar, remind us of the catacombs and the 
first Christians. 

Q. Of what do the candles remind us } 

A. The candles remind us of the golden candlesticks 
and golden lamps of the temple of Jerusalem, and of 
the infant days of the church, w^hen our fathers, 
obliged to conceal themselves in the catacombs for the 
celebration of the divine mysteries, had no other light 
but that of their lamps. 

Q. What effect should the sight of these things 
produce in us. 

A. The sight of these things should recall to our 
mind the life of the first Christians, and induce us to 



334 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

imitate their patience, their holiness, and their charity. 
The candles are also symbols of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
the true light of the world. 

Q. What other memento of the catacombs do we 
find in our churches? 

A. Another memento of the catacombs found in our 
churches are the paintings. The recesses of the cata- 
combs in which the first Christians celebrated the holy 
mysteries, are covered with paintings suited to the 
condition in which those martyrs of the faith found 
themselves ; such as Daniel in Ihe lion's den ; Jonas 
swallowed by a whale^ our Lord as the Good Shep- 
herdi &c. 

Q. What do you remark on these paintings ? 

A. I remark that the subjects are all such as are 
calculated to excite confidence and charity in the soul ; 
because our fathers bore no resentment towards their 
persecutors. At a later period the combats of the mar- 
tyrs, the memorable actions of the saints, of all condi- 
tions and all countries, became the subjects of these 
paintings. 

Q. What was the wish of the church in this ? 

A. By these paintings the church wished 1st, to in- 
struct us; 2d, to remind us that all the saints are her 
children. 

Q. What is the origin of bells .' 

A. The origin of bells is very ancient. The church 
using them in divine worship, blesses them, and gives 
the name of some saint, in order that we should hear 
them with more respect and docility. 



CHAPTER V. 

Christianity visible. — Of Blessings and of Cemeteries. 

Q. What do you mean by blessings? 
A. To bless a thing, is to purify it and consecrate it 
to God, and to the ceremonies of religion. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 335 

Q. Who has given the church the power to bless 
creatures ? 

A. God has given to the church the power to bless 
creatures. In the Old Testament, Moses, the prophets 
and the priests, had this power, and made frequent use 
of it. In the New Testament, our Lord oftentimes 
blessed creatures ; the apostles and the church have 
inherited this power and used it frequently. 

Q. Why has God given the church the power to 
bless ? 

A. God has given to the church the power to bless, 
1st, in order to withdraw the thing blessed from the 
dominion of the devil, and restore it to its primitive 
sanctity; 2d, to separate it from common and profane 
things ; 3d, to give lo it the virtue to elevate us, and 
direct us towards our last end. 

Q. What places does the church bless ? 

A. The church blesses her temples, our houses, and 
the cemeteries or grave yards, in order that every thing 
that touches man more nearly, should be holy; thereby 
giving us an exalted idea of our worth, and teaching 
us to respect ourselves. 

Q. Why are cemeteries placed near churches ? 

A. Cemeteries are placed near churches: 1st, to 
show the great solicitude with which the church 
watches over the remains of her departed children ; 2d, 
to prevent us from forgetting onr friends who are dead ; 
3d, to inspire us with serious thoughts when we come 
to church ; 4th, to show us the union which exists 
among the three churches, in heaven, on earth and in 
purgatory. 

Q. What instruction do we receive by the blessing 
of the cemetery ? 

A. In blessing the cemetery the church presents a 
lively image of the resurrection, to console us and 
make us look upon death as a gentle sleep ? 



336 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

CHAPTV VI. 

ChristiarAty visible.--^ Of FeMvalsy their object and 

their beauty, 

Q. What is time ? 

A. Since the commission of original sin, time is the 
delay granted by divine justice to guilt/ man to do 
penance. For this reason it is that the Council of 
Trent ^ays a truly Christian life is a continual penance. 

Q. Eow is the time of the year divided ? 

A. The time of the year is, by the church, divided 
into three parts: ihe first comprises Advent, and recalls 
to mind the four thousand years during v^^hich the 
Messiah was expected ; the second extends from Christ- 
mas to the Ascension, and comprises all the mortal life 
of our Lord. The lliird begins at Pentecost and ends 
at All-Saints; it comprises the life of the church. 

Q. What are festivals.? 

A. The word festival signifies a rejoicing, a religious 
assembly. Festivals have existed from the beginning 
of the Wi^rld. They existed under the patriarchs, under 
the law o( Moses, as well as under the gospel. 

Q. What is the iirst object of festivals? 

A. The first object of lestivals is to remind us of the 
principal events of religion, such as the actions of our 
Lord, the descent of the Holy Ghost, the life of the 
blessed Virgin and the saints. 

Q. What is the second ? 

A. The second object of these festivals is to establish 
the truth of all these events, and excite our gratitude 
to God for his benefits. 

Q. What are the advantages of festivals ? 

A. The advantages of festivals are : 1st, to inspire 
us with gratitude to God, and a desire to imitate the 
saints ; •2d, to incite us to the ])ractice of the different 
virtues which we are obliged to cultivate in a more 
special manner, during the diifi^rent seasons of the year 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 337 

3d, to give us rest from our labors and render them 
salutary by teaching us to sanctify them. 

Q. How must we sanctify the festivals? 

A. To sanctify the festivals we must understand 
well the intention of the church in instituting them, 
and endeavor to incite in our hearts the sentiments 
■which these festivals ought to produce. A very good 
means of sanctifying the festivals is to prepare for 
them by a novena, and to receive with fervor the sacra- 
ments of penance and the holy eucharist. 



CHAPTER VII* 
Christianity visible.-^The Sunday. — The Office. 

Q. Which is the first festival of the church ? 

A. The first festival of the church is the Sunday ? 
Among all nations there is a day consecrated to the 
service of God. The apostles consecrated Sunday to 
tlie worship of God, in memory of the resurrection of 
our Lord ; so that the Sunday stands a perpetual monu- 
ment of this great miracle. 

Q. How did the first Christians celebrate the Sunday ^ 

A. The first Christians celebrated the Sunday with 
great fervor; they assembled to pray in common, heard 
the reading of the sacred Scriptures, and the exhorta- 
tions of the bishops, approached all to the holy table, 
and relieved the poor, each according to his means. 

Q. What prayers did the first Christians say in 
common .'' 

A. The prayers which the first Christians said in 
common, consisted of psalms, hymns and lessons from 
the Scriptures. Hence came the divine office. 

Q. What is the divine officel 

A. The divine office is a collection of various prayers 
established by the church, and which are recited by 
the priests every day. It is called divine office because 
29 



338 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

it is a duty we render to God in order to honor him, 
thank him, and ask him for favors. 

Q. How is the divine office divided ? 

A. The divine office is divided into seven hours or 
parts, matins i prime, tierce, sext, none, vespers and com^ 
plin. These parts are called the hours of the office, 
because they are recited at different hours of the day 
and niojht, to honor the different mysteries of the pas* 
sion of our Lord, to thank God for his principal bene- 
fits to us, and to remind us of the chief events of re- 
ligion. 

Q. At what hour are matins recited f 

A. Matins are recited during the night. The matins 
consist of three nocturnsand a fourth part called lauds. 
The first nocturn is recited about nine o'clock at night, 
the second at midnight, the third at three o'clock, and 
the lauds just before day light. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
ChrUtianity viaibk.—The Office, contirmed» 

Q Of what are the matins composed ? 

A. The matins are composed of psalms, hymns, an- 
thems, lessons, versicles and responses. 

Q. What are the psalms? 

A. The psalms are sacred canticlea composed by 
David. 

Q. What is a hymn ? 

A. A hymn is a canticle in honor of God or the 
saints. The custom of singing hymns at prayers dates 
back to the cradle of Christianity. They are sung 
standing, to show that our hearts must be raised to 
God, whilst our lips publish his praises. 

Q. What is an anthem ? 

A. The word anthem signifies alternate chant, which 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 339 

is sung by two choirs, who respond to each other, 
thereby producing a holy ennulation. 

Q. What are the lessons ? 

A. The lessons are composed of extracts from the 
Scriptures, the explanations of the fathers of the 
church, and the life of the saint whose feast is cele- 
brated, thereby presenting us a conaplete course of in- 
struction. Thus the Scripture presents us the law, the 
commentaries of the holy fathers are the explanation, 
the life of the saints is the application. 

Q. What are the versicles ? 

A. The versicles are short sentences taken from the 
holy Scriptures, by which the church proposes to ex- 
cite our attention. For this reason they are sung by a 
singjle voice. 

Q. What are the responses ? 

A. The responses are the w^ords which follow the 
lessons, and which express the determination we feel 
to put in practice the teaching contained in the lessons, 
and to follow the example of the saints laid before us. 

Q. How do the matins terminate ? 

A. The matins terminate with the Te Deum, the 
admirable canticle composed by St. Ambrose and St. 
Augustin, which we sing in order to thank God for 
those mysteries of our Lord which took place during 
the night. 

Q. Which are those mysteries ? 

A. The principal are his birth, his last discourse to 
his apostles, his a^ony in the garden of Olives, and his 
resurrection. 

Q. What are the lauds? 

A. The lauds are the last part of the office of the 
night. They are composed of four psalms and one 
canticle, to signify the sanctification of our five senses, 
and to w^arn us not to profane them during the day. 



340 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 



CHAPTER IX. 
Christianity visible. — Office, continued, 

Q What are the hours which comprise the office of 
the day ? 

A. The hours which comprise the office of the day 
are prime, tierce, sext, none, vespers and complin. 

Q What mysteries do v«^e honor in the hour of prime? 

A. In the hour of prime we honor the Saviour 
covered w^ith opprobrium and carried before Pilate by 
the Jews. We also consecrate to God the commence- 
ment of the day. 

Q. In the other hours ? 

A. At tierce we honor the Saviour condemned to 
death, and celebrate the descent of the Holy Ghost 
upon the apostles ; at sext we honor our Lord fastened 
to the cross; at none our Lord expiring for love of us. 

Q. What are the vespers .? 

A. The vespers are that part of the office which we 
recite in the evening, to commemorate the burial of our 
Lord, and to thank him for the institution of the blessed 
sacrament of the altar. We recite five psalms at ves- 
pers to honor the five wounds of our Lord, and to ask 
pardon for the sins committed by our five senses during 
the day. 

Q. What is the sense of the psalms sung at vespers 
for Sunday? 

A. The first psalm reminds us of the eteinal birth of 
our Lord, his priesthood and the everlasting empire he 
has obtained by his sufferings; in the second we cele- 
brate the wonders of the reign of Jesus Christ, and par- 
ticularly the institution of the holy eucharist; in the 
third we sing the happiness of him who submits him- 
self to the yoke of Jesus Christ, and declare the misery 
of the sinner who revolts against him ; in the fourth 
we incite all men to praise the Saviour, whose reign 
renders us so happy; and in the fifth the church re- 



M i 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 341 

counts to her children the particular benefits they have 
received from God, invites them to be grateful, and 
promises them heaven. 

Q. What does the hymn for Sunday signify ? 

A. The hymn for Sunday expresses a great desire 
for heaven. 

Q. Why is the Magn'Jicat sung ? 

A. The Magnificat is sung to express to God the 
fullness of our gratitude, to do which more effectually 
the words of the blessed Saviour are used. 



CHAPTER X. 

Christianity visible, — The Office, concluded, — Use of 
Latin, — The Chant, 

Q. What is the last hour of the office of the day ? 

A. The last hour of the office for the day is complin, 
which signifies completion, because it completes the 
office. 

Q What do the psalms of complin express ? 

A. The first psalm of complin expresses our confi- 
dence in God at the moment of taking our repose; the 
second marks the effect of God's protection on those who 
hope in him; in the third the church invites us to de- 
vote our hearts to God, whenever we wake in the 
night, and reminds us of the practice of the first Chris- 
tians, who rose during the night to pray. 

Q. What is the hymn of complin ? 

A. The hymn of complin is a prolonged aspiration 
to heaven, that happy country where darkness and 
dangers are unknown. 

Q. How does complin terminate? 

A. Complin terminates with the canticle of the holy 
old man Simeon. The Christian, assured that God 
loves him with the tenderness of a father, asks to re- 
29* 



S42 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

pose in his divine arms; and before separating the 
assembled faithful place themselves under the protec- 
tion of their good mother, by singing one of her an- 
thems. 

Q. Why does the church use Latin in her offices ? 

A. The church uses Latin in her offices: 1st, the 
better to preserve the unity of the faith ; the living 
languages, changing continually, would soon introduce 
changes in the liturgy and in the form of the sacra- 
ments ; 2d, to preserve the catholicity of the faith, and 
that we might never be strangers to one another in 
whatever part of the world we may be ; 3d, to render 
our mysteries more respectable. 

Q. What is the origin of the ecclesiastical chant or 
song ? 

A. Chant is natural to man. It is essentially 
religious; for among all people the first use made of 
it has been to celebrate the praises of the Deity, and the 
Catholic Church, which has preserved whatever was 
good and truthful in the ancient traditions, has pre- 
served the chant or song. 

Q Who arranged the chant? 

A. St. Ambrose, and particularly St. Gregory, pope, 
arranged the chant used at present in the church. The 
church chant is truly beautiful and produces ihte most 
lively impressions of piety in the soul. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Christianity visible. — Of Sacrifice in general, and the 
Sacrifice of the Mass in particular, 

Q. What is a sacrifice ? 

A. A sacrifice is an offering made to God of a thing 
which we destroy, in order to acknowledge thereby 
his sovereign dominion over all creatures. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 343 

Q. Why is sacrifice necessary ? 

A. Sacrifice is necessary, because it is the only 
means by which to acknowledge the sovereign domin- 
ion of God over all that exists. 

Q. How so ? 

A, Because in destroying a creature in honor of 
God, man, by that action, says to him : I acknowledge 
that you are the absolute master of the life and death 
of all creatures and myself. 

Q. Why were bloody sacrifices used ? 

A. Bloody sacrifices were used to expiate sin ; in 
offering them man said to God : \ deserve to die, as 
this creature which I immolate to you. 

Q. Who established sacrifices ? 

A. God established sacrifices, for man of himself 
would never have imagined that the blood of an animal 
could please God or expiate sin* 

Q. Did the sacrifices of animals please God of 
themselves ? 

A. The sacrifices of animals and other creatures of 
themselves did not please God, but because they re- 
presented that sacrifice of infinite price which was one 
day to be offered up. 

Q. How many kinds of sacrifices were there among 
the Jews .' 

A. Among the Jews there were four kinds of sacri- 
fices: 1st, holocaust, in which the whole victim was 
consumed by fire. It was an offering of adoration to 
God ; 2d, the pacific sacrifice, offered for thanksgiving; 
3d, the propitiatory sacrifice, offered for the expiation of 
sin ; 4th, the impetratory sacrifice, offered to obtain 
favors from God. 

Q. What always accompanied these sacrifices ? 

A. The communion always accompanied these sac- 
rifices, that is, the .faithful and the priests ate of the 
flesh of the victim in order to be in communion with 
God, by means of the things immolated to him. 

Q. By what have the ancient sacrifices been replaced? 

A. The ancient sacrifices have been replaced by a 



344 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

sacrifice one and eternal, the sacrifice of Calvary, which 
is of infinite price, and of which all others were but 
the figure. 

Q. What is the mass? 

A. The mass is the continuation and renewal of the 
sacrifice of the cross. The only difference between the 
sacrifice of the mass and that of Calvary is, that on the 
altar our Lord is offered in an unbloody manner, whilst 
on Calvary he was offered in a bloody manner. 

Q. Why is the sacrifice of the mass necessary 1 

A. The sacrifice of mass is necessary to enable us 
to participate in the victim of Calvary, by eating his 
flesh and drinking his blood, and to apply to ourselves 
the merits of the sacrifice of the cross. 



CHAPTER XII. 
Christianity visible. — Of the Vestments of the Priest. 

Q. What are the ornaments w^orn by the priest 
whilst celebrating mass ? 

A. They are the amict, alb, cord, maniple» stole and 
chasuble. 

Q. What is the amict } 

A. The amict is a piece of white linen which the 
priest passes over his head and with it covers his 
shoulders. It reminds us of the moderation to be used 
in our words, and of the care we should have to ab- 
stain from all useless conversation whilst we are in 
church. 

Q. What is the alb ? 

A. The alb is a white robe, full and reaching to the 
feet ; it is a symbol of the purity which the priest car- 
ries to the altar and the people to the holy sacrifice. 

Q. What is the cord ? 

A. The cord is a cincture intended to confine the alb ; 
it reminds us of the cords w^th which the Saviour was 
bound during his passion, and also that we must be 
detached from sensual life. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 345 

Q. What is the maniple? 

A. The maniple is an oinament which the prieffi 
wears on his lett arm ; it formerly was a handkerchief 
used to wipe the tears and perspiration from the face ; 
it reminds both priest and people of the labor of good 
works, and the reward which attends them. 

Q. What is the stole? 

A. The stole is an ornament which the priest passes 
round his neck and crosses on his breast ; it is the 
symbol of his dignity and his power, and reminds us 
of the respect we owe to priests. 

Q What is the chasuble ? 

A. The chasuble was formerl)" a large mantle, round 
and full, with an opening in the centre through which 
to pass the head ; it was worn by laymen as well as 
ecclesiastics. The former having laid it aside, the 
church retained it and appointed it to be worn by the 
priests, ft signifies the charity which should animate 
our works and our prayers. 
i- Q. What are the ornaments of the deacon ? 

A. The ornaments of the deacon are: Isl, the stole 
placed over the left shoulder and fastened under his 
right arm, so as to leave his movements free ; 2d, the 
dalmatic, of a square form, with short armlets ; it was 
worn by the deacon as being more convenient for per- 
sons obliged to move about much, as w^as the case 
with the deacons in the primitive church. 

Q. What is the ornament peculiar to the sub-deacon? 

A. The tunic; it was the ordinary dress worn by 
die Roman servants. In consecrating it to the use of 
her ministers, the church has preserved a memento of 
the highest antiquity. 

Q. Why has the church appointed particular 
dresses for her ministers ? 

A. 1st, to inspire more respect for religion, and es- 
pecially for the holy sacrifice ; 2d, to remind us of the 
dispositions with which we should assist at the holy 
sacrifice. 



346 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE, 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Christianity visible. — Ornaments of Bishops, — Color of 
the Ornaments, 

Q. What are the ornaments of bishops when they 
officiate solemnly ? 

A. They are the stockings, the slippers, the pectoral 
cross, thejsmall tunic, the dalmatic, the gloves, the 
ring, the mitre, the crosier, the gremial, and if he be 
an archbishop, the pallium. 

Q,. What is the origin of the stockings and slippers ? 

A. The stockings and slippers which the bishop 
puts on in the church were a mark of distinction 
worn by the priests and senators of Rome. ' For this 
reason they are worn by bishops, who cannot use 
them except whilst celebrating the holy mysteries. 

Q. What do they signify ?. 

A. They signify that the bishops are the successors 
of the apostles; those great missionaries who traversed 
the world to preach the gospel. 

Q. What is the pectoral cross } 

A. The pectoral cross is a cross which the bishops 
wear upon their breasts ; it recalls to mind the ancient 
custom of the first Christians, who always wore a 
cross suspended from the neck. 

Q. What are the small tunic and dalmatic ? 

A. The small tunic and dalmatic are the two orna- 
ments peculiar to the sub-deacon and deacon. The 
bishop wears them to show that he is clothed with the 
plenitude of the priesthood. 

Q. VVhat do the gloves signify ? 

A. The gloves signify the blessing he asks of God, 
and the purity with which he approaches the altar 

Q. What is the ring ? 

A. The ring signifies the alliance which the bishop 
contracts with his church in his consecration. 

Q What is the mitre ? 

A. The mitre is an ornament, the origin of which 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 347 

dates back to the ancient law, and signifies the royalty 
of the priesthood; the two pieces which hang down 
on the shoulders signify the Old and New Testament ; 
with both of which the bishop must be perfectly con- 
versant. 

Q. What is the crozier ? 

A. The crozier is the bishop's sceptre; that is, 
his shepherd's crook ; and reminds him that he must 
watch over all his flock. 

Q. What is the gremial ? 

A. The gremial is a piece of silk placed on the 
knees of the bishop when he sits during mass, to 
prevent the soiling of the vestments. 

Q. What is the pallium ? 

A. The pallium is an ornament made of the wool of 
a white lamb, and marked with small black crosses; 
it signifies the charity and innocence which must 
characterize a pastor. 

Q. Why does the church use different colors in her 
ornaments ? 

A. The church makes use of different colors in her 
ornaments to enable us to entertain more easily the 
dispositions required by the festival we celebrate ; 
white reminds us of innocence; red, of charity; pur- 
ple, of penance and hope ; green, of patience and 
faith ; black recalls the thought of our last end. 

Q. What are the ornaments of the altar.? 

A. The ornaments of the altar are three cloths, used 
through respect, to cover it ; the candlesticks, taber- 
nacle and cross. 



^ CHAPTER XIV. 

Christianity visible. — The Sacred Fesseh and the 
Holy Water. 

Q. What are the principal sacred vessels ? 

A. The principal sacred vessels are the chalice, the 



348 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

patena, the ciborium, and the ostensorium. They are 
called sacred, because they are consecrated by ih« 
bishop, and destined solely lor the worship of God* 
Q. What is the chalice ? 

A. The chalice is a gold or silver cup used by the 
priest at the altar for the consecration and reception of 
the precious blood of our Lord. The chalice is^ aa 
ancient as Christianity ; being used by the Lord to con- 
secrate his blood and give it to his apostles. 
Q. What is the patena ? 

A. It is a kind of plate of gold or silver, on which 
the priest places the host which he ofiers up and con* 
secrates during mass. 

Q. What is the ciborium ? 

A. The ciborium is a sacred vessel, resembh*ng|th6 
chalice, and closed with a top ; it is used to keep the 
Holy Eucharist for the faithful, and for the sick. 
Q. What is the ostensorium ? 
A. The ostensorium is a kind of portable tabernacle 
in which the Sacred Host is exposed for the adoration 
of the faithful during the benediction or procession. 
Q. What ceremony precedes the mass of Sunday? 
A. It is the blessing and aspersion of the holy water. 
Q. Why does the priest put salt into the water he 
blesses ? 

A. The priest puts salt into the water to show that 
holy water prevents our soul from being corrupted by 
sin. 

Q. What are the effects of holy water ? 
A. The effects of holy water are: 1st, to chas^ 
away the devil ; 2d, to aid in healing the sick ; 3d, to 
obtain help from God ; 4lh, to aid in the remission of 
venial sin. 

Q. In what manner ought we to take holy water ? 

A. We ought to take it with great respect, keep it in 

our rooms, and make the sign of the cross with it on 

ourselves ; at least, when we rise and when we retire 

to rest. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 349 

Q. VVhy is the aspersion of holy water made in the 
church ? 

A. It is made to chase away the devil and to purify 
the faithful, so that they may assist at mass with at- 
tention, innocence and piety. The use of holy water 
is as old as the church, and its etficacy has been proved 
by a great many miracles. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Christianity visible. — Processions and the first part of 

the Mass, 

Q. What are processions ? 

A. Processions are solemn religious marches of the 
clergy and people. 

Q. Is the custom of processions very old? 

A. The custom of processions existed under the law 
of Moses ; instance those ol" David and Solomon for 
the transportation of the ark of the covenant to Jeru- 
salem. 

Q. What do processions signify ? 

A. Processions are the picture of our life, and re- 
mind us that we are only travelers on earth. The 
cross, which leads the procession and is followed by 
banners, teaches us that we cannot reach heaven except 
by following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and his 
saints. 

Q. Why is it that in some countries a procession is 
made before high mass? 

A. It is made before high mass on Sundays in re- 
membrance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Q. Into how many parts is the mass divided ? 

A. The mass is divided into six parts : the first 

comprises the preparation which is made at the foot of 

the altar; the second from the introit to the offertory; 

the tiiird from the ofiertory to the canon ; the fourth 

30 



850 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

from the canon to the Paitr; ih^ fifth from the Pater to 
the communion; the sixth irom the communion to the 
end of the mass. 

Q. What does the word mass mean ? 

A. The word mass means sent away, because, in 
the first ages, the deacon sent away the catechumens at 
the offertory, and the faithful at the end of the sacrifice. 
To the former he said, catechumens, go away; and to 
the latter, go away, the time for separating has arrived, 

Q. Of what is the first part of the mass composed ? 

A. The first part of the mass is composed of the 
si;2;n of the cross, a psalm, the confiteor, and several 
other prayers. In all these prayers the priest confesses 
his unworthiness, and accuses himself of his faults; 
the people imitate him, for it is by repentance we must 
prepare for the holy sacrifice. 

Q. What does the priest say next ? 

A. The priest next says, the Lord be with you, words 
which he repeats eight different times during the mass, 
and the people each time reply, and with thy spirit. 
These words contain all that we can desire, and we 
will not fail to hear mass well, if we oppose no ob 
stacle to this blessing wished us by the priest. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Christianity visible. — The Incensing, and the second 
part of the Mass. 

Q. What does the priest do when he ascends the 
altar? 

A. He kisses the altar through respect, and asks of 
God, in the name of the samts whose relics repose on 
the altar, to pardon his sins. 

Q What ceremony follows these prayers ? 

A. The ceremony which follows is the incensing. 
The offering of incense in the divine worship was pre- 
scribed to Moses by God himself. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 351 

Q. What does incense signify ? 

A. Incense signifies charity, prayer, and the good 
odor of virtue we ought to diffuse around us. 

Q. Why is the priest incensed ? 

A. The priest is incensed to honor him as the repre- 
senlative of Jesus Christ. Among the ancients it was 
a mark of honor to offer incense to a person. 

Q. What does the priest do after the incensing ? 

A. After the incensing the priest goes to the epistle 
side and reads the introit, which commences the sec- 
ond part of the mass. The w^ord iniroit means entry ; 
it is so called because it is sung whilst the priest enters 
to celebrate mass. 

Q. Of what is the introit composed ] 

A. The introit ordinarily is composed of some verses 
from the psalms, lo announce the great mystery which 
is about to be accomplished, and for which the just of 
the ancient law sighed so long. 

Q. What prayer comes after the introit? 

A. After the introit comes the Kyrie tleison. These 
are Greek words and signify, Lord^ have mercy on us. 
Kyrie or Christe eleison is repeated nine times, in com- 
memoration of the nine choirs of angels. 

Q. What is the Gloria in excelsis 1 

A. The Gloria in excelsis is a hymn of praise, 
thanksgivino: and love which the church addresses to 
God after having implored his mercy. In reciting it 
we must rejoice with the angels at the bir h o! the fcia- 
viour, who is about to immolate himself on the altar 
for us. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Christianity visible. — The second part of the Mas^t 

continued. 

Q. What does the priest do after finishing the Gloria 
in excelsis ? 
A. After the Gloria in excelsis the priest makes the 



352 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

sign of the cross: 1st, in imitation of the first Chris- 
tians, who made this adorable sign before and after their 
principal actions; 2d, to remind us that the sacrifice of 
the altar is the same as that of the cross. 

Q. What does he ilo then ? 

A. He then kisses the altar to imbibe from the bosom 
of the Saviour, represented by the altar, that peace 
which he wishes the people, in these words, the Lord 
be with you, and to which the people reply, and with 
thy spirit. 

Q. What prayer follows ihese words? 

A. After these words the priest commences the 
prayer called collects. 

Q. Whence comes this name ? 

A. This prayer is so called : 1st, because it is 
said for the assembled faithful, the word collect signify- 
ing assembled ; 2d, because it contains, in an abridged 
form, all the petitions oflered by the faithful to the 
Lord. 

Q. How does the collect terminate ? 

A. The collect terminates by these words : Through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, for it is in the name of Jesus 
Christ we pray, and it is through his merits we expect 
to obtain what we ask. The people answer, amen, 
that is, so he it. 

Q. What is the epistle ? 

A. The epistle is a lesson which follows the collect, 
and is taken from the sacred Scriptures. It is called 
epistle hf'cause it is generally taken from the letters or 
epistles of the apostles, especially of St. Paul. During 
the episiie all sit, in order to hear it with more recol- 
lection. 

Q By what is the epistle followed ? 

A. The epistle is followed by the gradual or re- 
sponse; by which the people testify their willingness 
to carry into practice the instructions they have just 
heard. It is called the gradual, because it is sung on 
the steps or grades of the singer's stand. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 353 

Q. By what other names is it called ? 

A. On days of mourning and of fast it is sung in 
sorrowful, lengthened tone ; then it is called tract, that 
is, lengthened. On days of joy, it is sung in a more 
lively strain, and is preceded and followed by the 
alleluia, 

Q. What is the alleluia and the prose? 

A. The alleluia is an expression of joy ; it is the 
song of the saints in heaven ; the prose is a continua- 
tion of it, and is on that account called the sequence 
Of following. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Christianity visible* — The second and third part of the 
Mass. 

Q. How is the gospel read ? 

A. The gospel is read and accompanied with many 
prayers and ceremonies calculated to inspire us with 
profound respect for the divine word. In solemn 
masses the deacon sings the gospel. 

Q. What is carried before the book of the Gospels 
at high mass ? 

A. At high mass the cross, lighted candles, and 
incense, are carried before the book of the Gospels. 
The deacon makes the sign of the cross on the sacred 
book to remind us that the gospel is the preaching of 
the cross. 

Q. What do the people answer at the end of the 
gospel } 

A. They answer : Praise be to lliee, O Christ, for 
the gospel is a great benefit conferred on us by God. 
We stand during the gospel, to show that we are 
ready to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. 

Q. What follows the gospel ? 

A. The instruction of the people. The priest first 



354 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

announces the feasts of the weeks, the marriages to 
lake place, and then preaches to the faithful the word 
of God. Hence the importance of attending the 
parish mass. 

Q. What does the priest do after the instruction ? 

A. After the instruction the priest returns to the 
altar and intones the credo or symbol. In singing 
the credo we profess our belief of all the truths which 
have been taught us. 

Q, Where commences the third part of the mass? 

A. The third part of the mass commences after the 
credo, and extends to the preface. All that part of 
the mass which precedes the offertory was formerly 
called the mass of the catechumens. 

Q What does the priest do after the credo f 

A. After the credo the priest turns to the people, 
and says: The Lord be with you; to which they an- 
swer: and with thy spirit; he then recites a prayer 
called the offertory; becauseduring this time the faith- 
ful offered at the altar the bread and wine which they 
had brought for the sacrifice. We must during the 
sacrifice offer ourselves to God, with a sincere desire 
to be immolated with our Lord. 



CHAPTER XIX. 
Christianity visible. — Third part of the Mass, 

Q What does the priest do after reciting the 
offertory? 

A. After reciting the offertory, the priest removes 
from the chalice the veil with which, through respect 
for the consecration, it had remained covered, and then 
extends the corporal on the altar. 

Q. What is the corporal ? 

A The corporal is a piece of square linen, destined 
to receive the body of our Lord, it must be of linen ; 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 355 

because it was in linen that the body of our Lord was 
wrapped for sepulture. 

Q. What is the pall ? 

A. The word pall means cover. It is a square 
card, enclosed in linen, and used to cover the top of 
the chalice 

Q. How does the priest offer the host ? 

A. The priest takes the palena on which rests the 
host, raises his eyes to heaven, and offers to God the 
bread which is to be changed into the body of our Lord. 

Q. For whom does he offer it ? 

A. He offers it for himself, for those assistins: at the 
mass, and for the faithful, living and dead. He then 
takes the chalice, into which he pours the wine and a 
few drops of water, to represent the union of the 
faithful with our Lord. 

Q,. What further does he do ? 

A. He offers up the chalice for the whole world ; 
and humbling himself, he implores the Holy Ghost to 
descend and consume these offerings by changing them 
into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. 

Q. What is the blessed bread ? 

A. The blessed bread, which was formerly used in 
all the churches, and which is still used in some 
countries, is a symbol of the union which should 
reign amongst all Christians. 

Q How should the blessed bread be taken ? 

A. It should be taken with respect, joy, and confi- 
dence, and in the spirit of charity, with an ardent 
desire to receive the holy communion, of which it is a 
figure. 

Q. What is the origin and the reason for the collec- 
tion made at mass ? 

A. The origin is as old as Christianity, and th e 
reason is, to show that charity does not consist ^n 
words, but in good works. 

Q. Why does the priest wash his fingers after the 
offertory ? 



356 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

A. He washes them for two reasons, the one natural 
and the other mysterious, which must be a lesson of 
holiness for us. 



CHAPTER XX. 

Christianity visible, — Third and fourth part of iha 
Mass, 

Q. What does the priest do after washing his 
fingers ? 

A. After washing his fingers, the priest returns to 
the middle of the altar, and beseeches the most Holy 
Trinity to accept the sacrifice which he offers up for 
their glory. He then kisses the altar and turns to the 
people for the last time till after the communion, and 
says to them, brethreUy lei us pray, after which he re- 
cites the secret. 

Q. What is the secret ? 

A. The secret is a prayer in which the priest asks 
of God to bless the offerings of the faithful and the 
faithful themselves, in order that they may prove an 
acceptable sacrifice ; it is called secret, because the 
priest recites it in a low voice. 

Q. Where does the fourth part of the mass begia? 

A. The fourth part of the mass begins after the 
secret, and continues till the FaLer. 

Q. What is the preface ? 

A. The preface is an iniroduclion to the great prayer 
called the canon. The church, in it, invites us to 
render glory to God for having deigned to accept our 
offerings; and with the celestial court we sing the 
glorious canticle of eternity. 

Q.. What is that canticle i 

A. The sanciusy holy, holy, holy Lord God of 
armies, the heavens and the earth are full of thy glory ; 
hosannah in the highest. 

Q. What is the canon ? 

A. The word canon signifies rule. The canon of 



CATECHISM OP PERSEVERANCE. 357 

the mass consists of the prayers which the church 
prescribes for offering the holy sacrifice, and which 
are not permitted to be changed. The canon is of 
great antiquity, and we should recite it with profound 
respect and with great confidence. 

Q. What do we find in the prayers of the canon ? 

A. In the first prayer of the canon are marked the 
principal ends for which the sacrifice is offered, the 
glory of God, and the good of the Catholic church; in 
the second are named the persoas who have a principal 
share in the mass; in the third the church reminds us 
that we are in communion with all the heavenly court. 

Q. What is the intention of the church in this? 

A. Her intention is to engage us to become all of 
one heart and one soul, and to put our confidence in 
the intercession of the saints. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Christianity visible, — The fourth part of the Mass, 
continued, 

Q. What does the priest do before the consecration ? 

A. Before the consecration the priest takes posses- 
sion of the victim, by extending his hands over the 
bread and wine ; during this ceremony, we must con- 
sider ourselves as victims, and offer ourselves to God. 

Q. What does the priest then ask for ? 

A. The priest then asks for the greatest of miracles, 
the change of the bread and the wine into the body 
and the blood of Jesus Christ; he has the right to ask 
it, and the power to obtain it. 

Q. Who has given him this power ? 

A. Our Lord himself gave him this power, when, 
after consecrating the bread and the wine, he said to 
his apostles, and their successors: Do this in commem- 
oration of me. 



358 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What next does the priest do ? 

A. He next rehearses what the Saviour did at the 
last supper; and then pronounces in a simpie, unin- 
terrupted tone, as used by Jesus Christ when he per- 
formed miracles, the words of consecration. 

Q,. Why does he elevate the host and the chalice ? 

A. He elevates the host and the chalice for the 
adoration of the Saviour, who has first been immolated. 

Q. What prayer does the priest say after the eleva- 
tion of the chalice ? 

A. After the elevation the priest says a prayer, in 
which he offers our Lord to God, his Father, in 
memory of his passion, his resurrection, and his 
ascension. 

Q. What does he ask of God ? 

A. He asks of him to receive favorably the victim 
which he presents to him, and with it the hearts of 
the faithful, which he ofiers him at the same time. 

Q. What is the mem nio of the dead ? 

A. The memento of the dead, which follows, is a 
prayer by which the prieet asks for the souls in pur- 
gatory admission into the heavenly Jerusalem. 

Q. What desire should animate us during all these 
prayers? 

A. During all these prayers we should be animated 
with an ardent desire to become victims worthy of 
God, in order lo attain heaven, the end for which the 
sacrifice is offered ; and to obtain which, we must con- 
fide fully in the infinite merits of our Lord. 



• CHAPTER XXII. 

Christianity visible. — The Fifth part of the Mass, 

Q. Where does the filth part ot the mass begin ? 
A. The fifth part of the mass bej^ins at the Pater. 
The Pater is preceded by a preface or preparatory 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 359 

prayer, which is said through respect for the Lord's 
prayer, and to aid us to say it well. 

Q. What part of the Pater is said by those assisting 
at mass ? 

A. They say that part which contains all the 
others, namely, Deliver us from evil. 

Q What ceremony follows the Pater J 

A. After the Pater, the priest breaks the sacred host 
over the chalice; puts a small part of it in the precious 
blood to mark the intimate union we are going to con- 
tract with our Lord by the communion, and places the 
other two parts on the patena for his own comnnunion. 

Q What ceremony took place at this moment, 
among the first Christians ? 

A. At this moment the first Christians gave each 
other the kiss of peace, to show that they loved one 
another as brethren. The kiss of peace which the 
deacon, during high mass at the present day, gives to 
ecclesiastics is a precious memorial of this holy cus- 
tom. 

Q. What is the Jignus Dei ? 

A. The Agnm Dei is a prayer in which the priest 
asks of our Lord to give us peace in this world and 
the next. 

Q. What prayer does he say after the Jignus Deif 

A. After the .Agnus Dei he says three beautiful 
prayers, the more immediately to dispose him to receive 
our Lord : to recite them is an excellent means of pre- 
paring for holy communion. 

Q. By what are these prayers followed ? 

A. They are followed by these words of the cen- 
turion — Lord, 1 am not worthy that thou shouldst enter 
under my roof, say but the word and my servant shall 
be healed. 

Q. Why is the confiteor said before communion .' 

A. It is said in order to excite us to compunction 
and humility, because the confiteor is a general and 
public accusation of all our sins. 



360 CATECHISM OF PEivSEVERAlNCE. 

Q. What are the ablutions ? 

A. The ablutions are used to purify the mouth and 
fingers of the priest so that no portion of the sacred 
species should remain adhering to them. Whilst tak- 
ing the ablutions, he says prayers of thanksgiving for 
his communion. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
Christianity visible, — The Sixth Part of the Mass, 

Q. What is the sixth part of the mass ? 

A. The sixth and last part of the mass is the thanks- 
giving. It comprises the anthem called communion, 
the post communion, the Ite missa est, the benediction 
and the Gospel of St. John.. 

Q. What is the anthem called communion ? 

A. It is a prayer which the priest recites and which 
at high mass the choir sings, immediately after the 
communion. 

Q. Why do they sing it ? 

A. As singing is used at the festivals of the great 
ones of the earth, the church wishes that it also should 
be used at the feast where man is seated at the table 
of God himself. 

Q. What is the post communion ? 

A. It is a prayer recited in thanksgiving after com- 
munion, and therefore called post communion. 

Q. What means lie missa est ? 

A. Ite missa est is, Go, the congregation is dismissed. 
That is. Go, the mass is finished. In high masses the 
deacon sings it in the name of the priest. 

Q. Does the mass always close with the words He 
missa est ? 

A. Not always. When other prayers follow the 
mass, the people are invited to continue the praises of 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 361 

God, and then, instead of the Ite missa est, the Bene- 
dicamus Domino^ Let us bless the Lord, is said. For 
this reason the Benedicamus is said during Mvent and 
Lent. 

Q. Why does the priest give the blessing at the end 
of mass ? 

A. To obtain for the people that they may preserve 
the fruits of the holy sacrifice, to testify his affection for 
them and the desire he has for their salvation. 

Q. Why does he recite the Gospel of St. John ? 

A. He recites the Gospel of St. John on account of 
the profound respect which has ever been entertained 
for the holy words it contains. The pagans them- 
selves admired them so much that they wished to have 
them engraved in letters of gold on their places of 
assembly that every person might read them. 

Q. What do the people say at the end of the 
Gospel ? 

A. At the end of the Gospel, they say Deo gratias, 
thanks to God, thanks to the most Holy Trinity, for 
all their benefits, of which the sacrifice of the altar is 
the abridgment. 

Q. How should we retire after mass] 

A. We should retire with great recollection, and 
live during the day as if we had witnessed the death 
of the Saviour on Mount Calvary. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Christianity visible. — The days of the week and month, 
Q. H )W should W3 co isi.ier tiie days of the w^eek ? 
A. We should consider the days of the week as a 
continual festival ; during which we must not only ab- 
stain from all acts that can ofiendGoJ, but also pray to 
him an i honor him by the holiness of our conduct. 
'Q. VVhy hive particular feasts been established? 
.' A. They have been established to renew the fervor 
31 



362 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

of the lukewarm, and to animate their courage, by re- 
calling to their minds the great events ot religion, and 
proposing to them new motives to be virtuous. 

Q. What name has the church given to the days of 
the week ? 

A. She has given them the name of ferial, which 
signifies rest and rejoicing; to remind us that each day 
ought to be for us a day of rest from sin, and a day of 
rejoicing by means of a good conscience, 

Q. What particular devotion is attached to each day 
of the week ? 

A. The Monday is consecrated to the souls in pur- 
gatory ; Tuesday, to the guardian angels ; Wednesday, 
to the passion; Thursday, to the Holy Eucharist; 
Friday, to the death of our Lord, and Saturday to the 
Blessed Virgin. 

Q. What were the Wednesday and Friday in the 
first ages ? 

A. The Wednesday and Friday of each week were 
days of stations; that is, days of fast, prayer, and 
assembling at the tombs of the martyrs. Hence the 
custom and the law of abstinence on Friday. At 
Home, Saturday has been a day of fast since the first 
age; hence the law of abstinence on that day. 

Q. What do you remark on the days of the month ? 

A. I remark that the church has given to each of 
them the name of a saint, in order each day to place 
before us the example of our brethren who are in 
heaven, and to encourage us to imitate their virtues. 

Q. What must we do to respond to this intention of 
the church } 

A. We should read each day the life of the saint ; 
especially when all the family are assembled. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 363 



CHAPTER XXV. 
Christianity visible* — Advent, 

Q. What is advent ? 

A. The word advent signifies coming. Advent is a 
time of prayer and penance, established by the church, 
to prepare tor the feast of Christmas. 

Q. With what sentiments does the church wish to 
inspire us during advent ? 

A. During advent the church washes to inspire us 
first with the spirit of penance, to prepare our hearts 
for the birth of the Messiah; she repeats to us the 
words of St. John, addressed to the Jews on the banks 
of the Jordan: Do penance; prepare ye the way of 
the Lord ; make straight his paths, 

Q, What more does she do ? 
I A. She puts on her garb of purple, and suppresses 
the alleluia in a part of her office. 

Q. What other sentiment does she wish to inspire] 

A. She wishes to inspire us also with hope, for 
which reason she announces to us in the Epistles and 
Gospels the speedy coming of the Messiah. 

Q What does advent represent ? 

A. Advent represents the four thousand years 
during which the Saviour was expected. The church 
invites us to sigh for his coming as did the patriarchs 
and prophets. From the 15th of December to the 23d 
she uses the great anthems, which are so many ardent 
sighs after the Messiah. 

Q. What must we do to spend advent well ? 

A. In order to spend advent well we must: 1st, 
renounce sin ; 2d, do some works of mortification ; 3d, 
desire ardently the coming of the Messiah in our hearts; 
4th, live in greater recollection and with more fervor 
than during the ordinary time. 

Q. What motives have we for passing advent 
well? 

A. 1st, obedience to the church; 2d, gratitude to 



364 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Jesus Christ; 3d, our spiritual interest; for propor- 
tioned to our fervor, will be the favors of the Messiah 
to us. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Christianity visible. — Feast of the Immaculate Concep- 
tion of the B. Virgin, 

Q. What feast is celebrated the eighth of Decennber ? 

A. On the eighth of Decenaber vre celebrate the 
feast of the immaculate conception of the Blessed 
Virgin. The Blessed Virgin being destined to be the 
mother of God, was preserved from original sin ; this 
was due to the honor of the three persons of the Holy 
Trinity : to the Father, whose daughter Mary was ; 
to the Son, whose mother she was ; and to the Holy 
Ghost, whose spouse she was. 

Q. Is the immaculate conception an article of faith ? 

A. The immaculate conception is not an article of 
faith. It is a belief, very certain, founded on the au- 
thority of the fathers and of theologians, and on the 
conduct of the church, which has established a feast 
in its honor. 

Q. Is this feast of great antiquity ? 

A. It goes back beyond the twelfth century. St. 
Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, contributed much 
to its being generally adopted ; and the sovereign pon- 
tiffs have granted great indulgences to those who 
celebrate it worthily. 

Q. What do you remark on the establishment of 
this feast ? 

A. I remark that the church, in establishing this 
feast, has not acquired new light which she had not 
from the beginning; but that she shows forth her wis- 
dom accoiding to the order of Providence and the 
wants of her children. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. J365 

Q How is the feast of the immaculate conceptioa 
calculated to sanctify us? 

A. The feast of the immaculate conception sanctifies 
our imagination, by presenting us the image of the 
purest of virgins ; our mind, by teaching us that we 
must, as far as possible, imitate the sanctity of Mary, 
since we are to receive in communion the same God, of 
whom she was the mother; and our heart, by inspir- 
ing us with the resolution to preserve it from stain, or 
to purify it when stained with sin. 

Q. What must we do to celebrate this feast 
worthily ? 

A. VVe must, 1st, thank God for having preserved 
the BJessed Virgin from the stain of original sin; 2d, 
congratulate Mary on her glorious privilege; 3d, form 
a resolution to avoid the slightest faults ; 4th, to per- 
form some acts of mortification, or say some prayers 
for the greater honor of the Blessed Virgin. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 
Christianity visible. — The Ember days and Vigils. 

Q. VVhat are the Ember days ? 

A. The Ember days are three days of fast, which 
occur at the close of each of the four seasons of the 
year ; and the origin of which dates from the time of 
the apostles, in preserving this practice, which was 
in force among the Jews, the church has given a proof 
of her great wisdom and of her great solicitude for 
our happiness. 

Q. How so ? 

A. By fixing the time and the manner of fulfilling 
this precept of our Lord : Unless you shall do pen- 
ance, you shall all likewise perish ; a precept to which 
we are obliged, as men, as sinners, and as Christians. 
31* 



306 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What would have happened without this ? 

A. Without this the greater part of men would 
have neglected the divine precept of doing penance, 
and would have appeared before the throne of justice 
loaded with debt, and condemned to hell, or at least to 
a rigorous purgatory. 

Q. What works does the church command ? 

A. She commands fasting, prayer and alms, as op- 
posed to the three great passions of the heart, love of 
pleasures, love of honors, and love of riches. 

Q. Why has the church particularly established the 
Ember days ? 

A. 1st, to ask pardon of God for the sins committed 
during the season past; 2d, to thank God for the fa- 
vors he has granted us ; 3d, to bring down the bless- 
ings of heaven on the ordinations ; 4lh, to aid^us in 
spending in a more Christian manner the coming 
season. 

Q. What are Vigils ? 

A. The word vigil signifies watching. The Vigils 
are, the days of abstinence and fast which precede 
the great festivals of the year. There are five; those 
of Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Assumption and All 
Saints. In some diocesses the feast of St. Peter and 
St. Paul is also preceded by a Vigil. 

Q. How should we spend the Vigils? 

A. Whatever may be our age, we should spend 
those days in a more holy manner than other days, in 
order to prepare for the celebration of the festival and 
to receive the graces w^hich God always gives more 
abundantly at that time. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Christianity visible. — Christmas. 

Q. What does the festival of Christmas celebrate ? 
A. The festival of Christmas celebrates the birth of 



CATECHISM OF PERSETERANCE. 3^7 

our Lord Jesus Christ. We must believe that the Son- 
of God, incarnated in the womb of the Virgin Mary, 
was born in a stable at Bethlehem, for our salvation. 

Q. Give the history of his birth. 

A. For four thousand years the world had expected 
a Redeemer, promised by the prophets. The moment 
had now come. By order of the emperor Augustus, 
Joseph and Mary repaired to Bethlehem, to be enrolled 
on the public registers. Finding no place for them in 
the city, they retired to a stable in the vicinity, and 
there the Blessed Virgin gave to the world the Messiah 
so long expected, 

Q. By whom was his birth announced? 

A. It was announced by angels to some shepherds, 
who were keeping watch over their flocks in the 
neighborhood. 

Q. Describe the stable at Bethlehem. 

A. The stable where the Saviour was born is 
thirty-seven and a half feet long, by eleven feet three 
inches broad, and nine feet high. It was cut in a 
rock; and tradition informs us that at the time of the 
ISaviour's birth it was occupied by an ox and an ass. 

Q. Why did God make known the birth of his Son 
to the shepherds first ? 

A. To show us the esteem in which he holds 
poverty and simplicity of heart 

Q. In what dispositions must we be to celebrate 
worthily the festival of Christmas ? 

A. We must have a great horror for sin, and be de- 
tached from creatures ; this is the teaching of the 
infant Jesus, born poor, humble, and suffering. We 
must tenderly love the Saviour, who, to make us love 
him, put on the form of an infant and became our 
brother ; finally, we must ask of him and imitate the 
virtues ot his infancy. 

Q. Why do the priests say three masses on Christ- 
mas day ? 

A. To honor the three births of the Son of God ; 



368 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

1st, his eternal generation in the bosom of his Father; 
2d, his temporal, in the stable of Bethlehem ; 3(1, his 
spiritual birth in the hearts of the just by charity. 

Q. Are we obliged to hear three masses on Christ- 
mas day ? 

A. We are not obliged to hear three masses, but it 
is well to do it when we can; gratitude should make 
it a duty for us. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

Christianity visible. — Feast of the Circumcision, 

Q. What is the feast of the Circumcision? 

A. The feast of the Circumcision is the day on 
which our Lord received in his flesh the mark of the 
children of Abraham. 

Q. Why was our Lord pleased to submit to this 
ceremony ? 

A. 1st, to show that he was truly man, and de- 
scended from Abraham and David, according to the 
prophets; 2d, to show us the respect we must have 
for the laws of God and the church. 

Q. What must we do to celebrate well this feast ? 

A. We must, 1st, detest sin, which was the cause of 
the sufferings of the divine infant; 2d, have no inordi- 
nate attachment to creatures ; 3d, compassionate the 
Blessed Virgin. 

Q What name did the Son of God receive on the 
day of his circumcision ? 

A. He received the name of Jesus, which signifies 
Saviour. This name was brought from heaven, and 
made known to Mary by the angel Gabriel, when he 
announced to her that she was to be the mother of 
God. God made it publicly known on the day of the 
Circumcision, that being the day on which the Jews 
named their children. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 869 

Q. How is our Lord our Saviour? 

A. He is our Saviour in every respect. He is the 
Saviour of our understanding, delivering it from error ; 
the Saviour of our heart, delivering it from the tyranny 
of our passions ; the Saviour of our body, abolishing 
slavery, and the law^s which permitted murder, vio- 
lence and oppression. He has broken the yoke of the 
devil, expiated sin, re-opened heaveo, and given all 
the graces necessary to arrive there. 

Q. With what sentiments must we pronounce the 
name of Jesus ? 

A. With sentiments of respect, confidence and love. 
There is an indulgence for those who bow the head on 
pronouncing or on hearing the name of Jesus pro- 
nounced. 

Q. Is the Circumcision an ancient feast ? 

A. It is very ancient. It was made a solemn feast 
in the sixth century ; the church wishing to expiate 
the disorders of the pagans on this- day, it being the 
first day of the new year. 

Q. What must we do to enter into the spirit of the 
church ? 

A, We must, 1st, entertain Christian wishes for our 
brethren and for the whole world, sincerely wishing 
them a happy new year; that is, happy in the sight 
of God; 2d, reflect on the shortness of time, and see 
how our account stands with God. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

Christianity visible. — Epiphany , 

Q What feast does the church celebrate on the 
sixth of January ? 

A. The feast of the Epiphany. Three times, in the 
space of fifteen days, she calls her children to the 
stable at Bethlehem, to teach the rich detachment 



370 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

from riches, and charity to the poor ; and the poor, 
resij^nation in their poverty and sufferings. 

Q, What is the Epiphany ? 

A. It is the day on which our Lord was adored by 
the magi. A miraculous star having appeared in the 
east, the magi, enlightened by grace, went to Bethle- 
hem, prostrated themselves betore the infant Jesus, 
and offered him presents of gold, frankincense and 
myrrh ; they are the first fruits of the Gentiles. 

Q. Who were the magi, and what was their number.' 

A. It is generally believed that the magi were 
learned men, engaged in the study of astronomy, and 
that they were kings, and three in number. 

Q. What virtues does the example of the magi teach 
us ? 

A. Their example teaches: 1st, fidelity to grace ; as 
fioon as they perceived the star, they quit all to follow 
it; 2d, to avoid evil company; the Magi did not re- 
turn to Herod, but went back to their own country by 
another route. 

Q. Is the Epiphany an ancient feast? 

A. It commenced with the first ages of the church. 
It has always been one of the most solemn feasts, 
and a kind of continuation of the feast of Christmas, 
for which reason we do not fast on the Vigil. 

Q. What must we do to enter into the spirit of this 
feast ? 

A. We must, 1st, thank God for having been called 
to the faith ; 2d, endeavor to conform our conduct to 
our belief; 3d, pray to God for the preservation of re- 
ligion amongst ourselves, and for the conversion of 
infidels. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Christianity visible, — Purijication, 

Q. What feast is celebrated on the 2d of February? 
A. The feast of the Purification, commonly called 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 371 

Candlemas, is celebrated on the 2d of February. On 
this day the church offers us three mysteries for our 
meditation ; 1st, the purification of the Blessed Virgin ; 
2d, the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple ; 
3d, the meeting of Simeon and Anna, with the infant 
Jesus, and his parents. 

Q. What is the Purification of the Blessed Virgin ? 

A. It is the day on which the Blessed Virgin re- 
paired to the temple, in obedience to the law of Moses, 
which obliged every woman who had brought forth a 
child to present herself in the temple, to offer a sacrifice 
to the Lord. The Blessed Virgin, although not bound 
by this law, wished nevertheless to submit to it, 
through a spirit of obedience and humility. 

Q. What does her example teach us ? 

A. Her example teaches all Christians the respect 
with which they ought to conform to the usages of the 
church, and it teaches Christian mothers how careful 
they should be to come to the church after the birth of 
their children, to return thank§ to the Lord. 

Q. What is the second mystery we honor on the 2d 
of February ? 

A. The second mystery is the presentation of the 
child Jesus in the temple. Although the Saviour was 
not obliged to this ceremony, he was pleased neverthe- 
less, through humility, to submit to the law which 
obliged all the Jews to consecrate to God their first 
born sons. 

Q. What is the third mystery ? 

A. The third mystery is the meeting of Simeon and 
Anna with the child Jesus and his parents. 

Q. What did the old man Simeon do on seeing the 
Saviour ? 

A. He received the Saviour into his arms, and happy 
in seeing him, he asked to die, and foretold the great- 
ness of the divine infant and the sufferings of Mary. 

Q. Why has the feast of the purification been estab- 
lished ! 

A. It has been established to honor the three my»- 



372 CATECHISBI OF PEaSEVERANCK. 

teries of which we have spoken, and expiate the dis. 
orders to which the pagans gave themselves up during 
the nionth of February. 

Q. What is represented by the lighted candles which 
are distributed on that day ? 

A. The lighted candles represent Jesus Christ, who 
is the light of the world. This feast demands of us 
great humility, an ardent charity and an angelic purity 
of heart. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 
Christianity vlsibte, — Lent, 

Q. Why are fasts and abstinence ordered ? 

A. They are ordered: 1st, to strengthen our soul 
and restore to it dominion over the senses ; 2d, to 
expiate our sins; 3d, to render homaire to God for the 
benefits he confers on us. The fast of Lent is estab- 
lished also in imitationpf the forty days' fast of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, and to prepare us for the paschal 
communion. 

Q. Ls Lent of great antiquity ? 

A. It is derived from the apostles, and has always 
been observed in every portion of the churcn. The 
first Christians kept a very severe fast, and gave in 
alms what they retrenched from their tables. 

Q. In what does the fast consist .' 

A. The fast consists in eating only one meal a day, 
to which the church, ever indulgent, permits us to add 
a ]iQ:ht collation. 

Q. Who are obliged to fast ? 

A. All who have completed their twenty-first year 
are bound to fast by the law of the church. But all 
who are sinners, of whatever age, are obliged to do 
penance. 

Q. What reavsons dispense from fasting } 

A. Sickness, hard labor, poverty, are reasons which 
dispense from fasting. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 373 

Q. In case of doubt what must be done? 

A. When we doubt if we should fast, w^e must con- 
sult our confessor or a pious and experienced physi- 
cian. When we cannot fast we must perform some 
other good works, watch more carefully over our 
senses, and support our labor and sufferings with more 
resignation. 

Q. What dispositions must we bring to the fast of 
Lent ? 

A. To fast with profit during Lent, w^e must con- 
sider Lent as a means to sanctify ourselves, and do all 
that is necessary for that purpose ; we must forsake 
sin, assist at the instructions and live in recollection. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 
Christianity visible. --Ash- Wednesday.— Liturgy of Lent . 

Q. What are the prayers of the forty hours ? 

A. They are solemn prayers, accompanied by the 
exposition of the blessed sacrament and other pious 
exercises. They commence on Quinquagesima- Sunday 
and continue till the following: Tuesday included. 

Q. Why were they established ? 

A. 1st, to withdraw the faithful from theatres, balls 
and all the sinful extravagances of these days ; 2d, to 
expiate the sins committed at that time ; 3d, to prepare 
us for the holy time of Lent ; 4th, to honor the forty 
hours w^hich intervened between the condemnation of 
our Lord to death and his resurrection. 

Q. What is Ash-Wednesday ? 

A. It is the first day of the fast of Lent. On this 
day all the faithful should receive the ashes and con- 
secrate themselves to penance. 

Q. What should be our reflections when we receive 
|l the ashes .? 

A. When we receive the ashes we must consider 
32 



374 CATECHISBt OF PERSEVERANCE. 

ourselves as sinners condemned to death, and we must 
excite ourselves to great compunction in order to ob- 
tain the pardon of our sins and a glorious resurrection* 

Q. What was done formerly on Ash-Wednesday ? 

A. It was on Ash^Wednesday that pubh'c penance 
was formerly imposed on sinners. The bishop put 
the ashes on their heads, and then with the foot of the 
cross drove them from the church, as God drove our 
first parents from the terrestrial paradise. These sin* 
ners remained separated from the faithful until Holy 
Thursday. 

Q. Was the penance imposed on them by the church 
severe ? 

A. It w^as very severe, lasting sometimes for twenty 
years ; the penitents submitted humbly, in order to 
expiate their sins. 

Q. How must we expiate our sins ? 

A. We must expiate our sins by penance propor- 
tioned to their number and grievousness. To this the 
church exhorts us without ceasing during Lent, by 
giving us the most beautiful instructions to animate 
our confidence and make us enter into ourselves. 

Q. Where do we find these instructions ? 

A. We find them particularly in the Gospels for 
Lent. The first Sunday the church shows us Jesus 
Christ in the desert praying and fasting; in the second 
she speaks to us of heaven, which will be the recom- 
pense of the truly penitent ; the third she depicis to 
us the unhappy state of sin, to induce us to quit it; 
the fourth she holds up to our view the holy com- 
munion, in which we should all participate. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 375 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Christianity visible, — Fifteen last days of Lent, 

Q. To what are the fifteen last days of Lent conse- 
crated ? 

A. They are consecrated to honor the passion of 
our Lord ; for this reason the church in the Gospel of 
each day rehearses the benefits and the most striking 
miracles of the Saviour, and the injustice of the Jews 
who sought to put him to death. 
Q. What more does the church do ? 
A. On the Friday before the passion she celebrates 
the feast of the seven dolors of the Blessed Virgin, 
whose heart was pierced with sorrow on seeing the 
treatment which her divine son received. 
Q. How is the last week of Lent called ? 
A. The last week of Leni is called: 1st, the great 
week, on account of the number and grandeur of the 
mysteries celebrated, and on account of the length of 
the different offices ; 2d, the painful week, on account 
of the sufferings of our Lord ; 3d, the xerophage week, 
because formerly the faithful ate only dry lood and 
drank nothing but water; 4th, holy week, on account 
of the holiness of the mysteries she presents us, and 
the holiness she requires of us 

Q How was the holy week formerly spent? 
A. Formerly holy week and Easter week were a 
continual feast. The tribunals of justice were closed, 
business suspended and prisoners set at liberty, debtors 
had their debts paid for them, enemies were reconciled, 
each one endeavored to renew in himself the true 
spirit of his duties and of the gospel. 
{ jQ. How should we spend h? 

A. We should spend it as the church requires: 1st, 
meditating each day on the passion of our Lord ; 2d, 
exciting in ourselves a lively horror for sin, and a great 
love of God and our neighbor; 3d, living in great 



376 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

recollection ; 4th, assisting at the different offices, and 
preparing ourselves with special fervor to receive the 
sacraments of penance and the eucharist. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 
Christianity Visible, — Palm- Sunday. — Holy- Thursday, 

Q. What circumstance in the life of our Lord does 
the church honor on Palm- Sunday ? 

A. She honors the triumphal entry of our Lord into 
Jerusalem five days hefore his death. For the fulfil- 
ment of the prophecies our Lord was pleased to make 
a solemn entry into Jerusalem. As he approached, 
the v^hole people went out to meet him, carrying 
branches of olive in their hands and making the air 
resound vj'iXh their acclamations, Glory to the Son of 
David, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

Q,. What does the procession with palms represent? 

A. It represents the entry of our Lord into Jeru- 
salem, and his entry into heaven with his elect after 
the last judgment. 

Q. What should we do with our palms ? 

A. We should preserve them with great respect and 
keep them in our chamhers. 

Q. What mystery do we celebrate on Holy-Thursday? 

A. On Holy-Thursday we celebrate the institution 
of the holy eucharist. On this day we should in a 
particular manner evince our gratitude to our Lord for 
having given himself to us, and ask his pardon for the 
insults to which he is subjected in the holy sacrament. 

Q. What ceremony takes place before mass .? 

A. The absolution of penitents, because formerly it 
was on Holy -Thursday that those penitents were re- 
conciled who had been subjected to public penance at 
the commencement of Lent. 

Q. What was done on Holy -Thursday ? 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 377 

A. On Holy-Thursday all the faithful received com- 
munion ; and we cannot choose a more suitable day, to 
approach the holy communion and testify our grati- 
tude to our Saviour. 

Q,. What is done during the mass ? 

A. During the mass the holy oils are blessed for 
administering the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, 
holy orders and extreme unction. After mass the 
blessed sacrament is carried to the repository, which 
represents the tomb of the Saviour. The altars are 
stripped and the bells cease to ring in sign of sorrow. 

Q, What is done after mass ? 

A. After mass takes place the washing of feet, in 
memory of the example and precept of our Lord, wha 
washed the feet of his apostles. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Christianity Visible. — Good-Friday, 

Q. What is Good-Friday ? 

A. Good-Friday is the day on which the church 
honors the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Q. How was Good-Friday formerly celebrated ? 

A. Formerly it was celebrated by spending the 
whole night in the church in prayer, and every person 
fasting, except children under seven years of age. 

Q. Of how many parts is the office of Good-Friday 
composed ] 

A. The office of Good-Friday is composed of three 
parts. 

Q. What is the first .? 

A. The first part contains two lessons, one from 
Exodus, in which Moses describes the ceremony of 
the Paschal Lamb, the fiscure of our Lord ; the other 
from Isaias, where this prophet shows us that Jesus 
Christ is the true Paschal Lamb, and foretells his suf- 
32* 



378 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

ferings. These lessons are followed by the reading o^ 
the passion according to St. John. 

Q. What is the second ? 
' A. The second part are the solemn prayers which 
the church says for the whole world, even lor her greatest 
enemies. Before each prayer a genuflection is made, 
except before the prayer said for the Jews. 

Q. What is the third part ? 

A. The third part is the solemn veneration of the 
cross, w^hich represents to us the Saviour ascending 
Mount Calvary. 

Q. Whilst preparing to uncover the cross, what is 
sung ? 

A. In the name of the Saviour these touching words 
are sung: My people, what have I done to thee? in 
what have I made thee sorrowful ? Answer me. I have 
brought thee out of the servitude of Egypt, I have fed 
thee with manna, I have led thee into a fruitful land, I 
have protected you and thou hast 'prepared a cross for 
thy Saviour, 

Q What ought we to do during the evening of 
Good-Friday ? 

A. We ought to repair to the church about three 
o'clock, because our Lord died at that hour, and 
whilst there we would do well to meditate on the seven 
words spoken by him on the cross. 

Q VVhat are those seven words ? 

A. 1st, Fa her, forgive them, for they know not what 
they do ; 2d, to the good thief. This day thou shall he 
with me in paradise ; 31, to Mary, Woman, behold thy 
son; and to St. John, Behold thy mother ; ith, I thirst; 
5th, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me; 
6th, /if is consummated; 7th, Father, into thy hands I 
commend my spirit. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 379 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Christianity Visible. — Holy Saturday, 

Q. What is Holy- Saturday ? 

A. Holy-Saturday is the day on which the church 
honors the sepulture of the Saviour. Formerly, sol- 
emn baptism was administered to the catechumens on 
this day. The office of the day is composed of six 
parts. 

Q. Which is the first ? 

A. The first is the blessing of the new fire, and re- 
minds us that the church blesses all the things which 
she uses for divine worship; 2d, that all should be 
new in our hearts, in order to imitate the Saviour 
risen from the dead. 

Q. Which is the second ? 

A. The second is the blessing of the paschal candle, 
which formerly was a column of wax, on which was 
written the epoch of the paschal feast, that is, the day 
of the month on which it occurred. It is the first 
symbol of the Saviour risen. The five grains of in- 
cense inserted in the paschal candle, represent the five 
wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the aromatic 
f^pices used to embalm his body. 

Q. What is the third ? 

A. The third are the prophecies, and are twelve in 
number. They were sung from the first ages, to em- 
ploy the attention, and keep alive the piety of the 
faithful, who passed the entire night in the church. 
They all have reference to baptism ; and invite our 
gratitude to God for so great a blessing. 

Q. What is the fourth ? 

A. The fourth is the blessing of the baptismal 
font. Formerly, when the catechumens were pre- 
pared, they were led to the font during the singing of 
the litanies, and the water in which they were to be 
regenerated was blessed. This blessing of the water, 
si continued at the present day. 



380 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q. What is the fifth? 

A. The fifth is the mass; which has no introit, 
because the people are already in the church. The 
mass is short, in consequence of the length of the 
offices. 

Q. What is the sixth ? 

A. The sixth are the vespers, which are sung im- 
mediately after mass. It consists of but one psalm ; 
in which the Gentiles are invited to unite with the 
Jews to bless the Lord, who, by the grace of baptism, 
has united all nations in the same church. 

Q. What should we do on Holy-Saturday? 

A. We should bury ourselves in spirit with our 
Lord in the sepulchre; and there leave all our old 
habits of sin and lukewarmness, in order to rise with 
him to a new life. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

Christianity visible. — Easter. 

Q. What is the feast of Easter or the Pasch ? 

A. It is the day on which our Lord raised himself 
to life again. The resurrection of Jef^us Christ is the 
foundation of our faith and our hope. For this rea- 
son the church celebrates with so much pomp and 
joy the memory of this great event. 
• Q. What does the word Pasch mean ' ^ 

A. It means passage or pass-over; that is to say, 
for the Jews, the passage of the exterminating angel, 
and their deliverance from the servitude of Egypt ; and 
for Christians, the passage ot our Lord from death to 
life, and our deliverance from the slavery of sin and 
the devil. 

Q. Why is a procession made before mass ? 

A. The procession is made before mass in memory 
of the journey which the apostles and disciples made 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 391 

Into Galilee, when our Lord sent them word by the 
holy women, saying, Go into Galilee , there they shall 
see me. 

Q. Why is a procession made at vespers ? 

A. Because formerly the newly baptized were con- 
ducted to the font to return thanks for their baptism 
received the evening previous. 

Q. What psalms are sung during the procession at 
vespers ? 

A. The psalms Laudate pueri and In exitu Israel, 
are sung to express the joy we should feel at being 
delivered by baptism from the empire of the devil and 
of sin. 

Q. What must we do in order to celebrate worthily 
the feast of Easter ? 

A. We must, 1st, believe firmly in the resurrection 
of our Lord ; 2d, return him thanks for having been 
born, having died and raised himself to. life again, for 
us; 3d, we must rise from sin to grace, in order that 
after Easter we may lead a new life, the pledge of a 
glorious resurrection at the day of judgment. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Christianity visible. — The Annunciation, 

Q. What feasts do we celebrate on the 25th of 
March .' 

A. We celebrate the Annunciation of the Blessed 
Virgin. The archangel Gabriel being sent to Mary to 
announce to her that she was to be the mother of God, 
said to her : Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, 
blessed art thou among women 

Q. What did the Blessed Virgin do ? 

A. The Blessed Virgin, being troubled at these 
words, kept a modest silence, thinking within herself 
what this salutation could mean. 



382 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

Q,. What did the angel do, seeing that she Vv'as 
troubled ? 

A. The angel seeing that she was troubled, has- 
tened to relieve her anxiety, saying : Fear not, Mary, 
for thou hast found grace with God ; the power of the 
Most High shall overshadow thee ; and thou shalt bring 
forth a son, and he shall he called the Son of God. 
Mary, whose consent was necessary, humbly sub- 
mitted, saying : Behold the hand maid of the Lord, he 
it done to me according to thy word ; and instantly 
the Son of God was incarnated in the chaste w^omb of 
Mary. 

Q. What do you remark on this dignity of Mother 
of God ? 

A. It is to it that women are indebted for the honor 
and respect they enjoy since the preaching of the 
gospel. Therefore should they cherish a tender devo- 
tion to Mary. 

Q. What is the Ave Maria? 

A. The Ave Maria, or Angelic salutation, is a 
prayer in honor of the Blessed Virgin. 

Q,, Of what is it composed ? 

A. It is composed : 1st, of the words addressed by 
the angel to the Blessed Virgin ; 2d, of the words of 
St. Elizabeth, when she was visited by her cousin, 
the Blessed Virgin ; 3d, of the words added by the 
church. 

Q. When should we recite the Ave Maria? 

A. We should recite it often ; but especially in the 
morning, the middle of the day, and at night; as also 
the Angelus, morning, noon and even, for the saying 
of whicli great indulgences have been granted. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 883 

CHAPTER XL. 

Chmtianity visible, — Month of Mary. — Scapular. — • 

Rosary, 

Q. What are the principal practices of devotion in 
honor of the Blessed Virgin ? 

A. The month of Mary, the Scapular and the 
Rosary. 

Q. What is the month of Mary ? 

A. The month of Mary is the month of May, con- 
secrated to the honor of the Blessed Virgin. This 
devotion, which originated in Italy in the last century, 
has for its end to obtain from the queen of virgins the 
preservation of innocence amid the temptations which 
spring up so freely during that beautiful season. ; 
^^Q. How should we perform the month of Mary ? 

A. To perform it well, we must each day offer up, 
in honor of the Blessed Virgin, a spiritual reading and 
some prayers, and endeavor to walk in her footsteps. 

Q. What is the Scapular ? 

A. The Scapular is a devotion in honor of the 
^Blessed Virgin, which was revealed to the blessed 
Simon Stock, superior of the Carmelites, in the 
twelfth century. 

Q. What did the Blessed Virgin promise to Simon 
Stock,? 

A. She promised him : 1st, to obtain for those who 
should wear the Scapular, extraordinary graces for ob- 
taining a good death. But this does not mean that all 
who wear the Scapular are assured of their salvation. 
2d, she promised to deliver from purgatory, the Satur- 
day after their death, all the departed members of the 
confraternity. 

Q. What is necessary in order to participate in these 
privileges ? 

A. Jn order to participate in the first privilege, it is 
sufficient to live as Christians in our respective states 



384 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

of life, and to wear constantly the Scapular. To par- 
ticipate in the second, we must also live as Christians ; 
and those who can read, must recite every day the 
little office of the Blessed Virgin; those who cannot 
read, must abstain on Wednesdays. 

Q. What is the Rosary ? 

A. The Rosary is a devotion in honor of the 
Blessed Virgin ; which consists in reciting, each week, 
three pairs of beads or fifteen decades, meditating on 
the principal mysteries of our Lord and the Blessed 
Virgin. These mysteries are divided into three classes : 
the joyful, the dolorous, and the glorious mysteries. 

Q. VVho established the Rosary ? 

A. St. Dominick was directed by the Blessed Vir- 
gin to establish the Rosary at Ihe commencement of 
the thirteenth century. This devotion has obtained 
the greatest graces; and a multitude of popes, kings 
and princes, have eagerly united in its perform- 
ance. We also should join in this devotion, for w^e 
have the most pressing need of the protection of the 
Blessed Virgin. 



CHAPTER XLI. 

Christianity visible. — Rogations. — Procession qf St. 
Mark. 

Q. What are the rogations.^ 

A. The rogations are three days of procession, 
prayer and abstinence, which precede the Ascension, 
to obtain the blessing of God on the fruits of the earth. 

Q. But are not the laws of nature immutable ? 

A. The laws of nature are not immutable; they are 
dependent on the will of God who made them. 

Q. What other prayer does the church say for the 
fruits of the earth ? 

A. The recitation of the passion of our Lord, which 



CATECHISM OF TERSEVERANCE. 385 

takes place in some countries before mass every morn- 
ing from the third of May, the feast of the Finding 
of the cross, till the fourteenth of September, the day 
of the Exaltation of the cross. 

Q. Who established the rogations ? 

A. St. Mamertus, bishop of Vienne in Dauphiny, 
established the rogations towards the close ol the fifth 
century to arrest the scourge which desolated the city 
of Vienne and all Dauphiny. 

Q. What is necessary in order to sanctify the roga- 
tion days ? 

A. We must : 1st, abstain during those three days^ 
2d, assist at the processions, if we can, with piety and 
compunction. 

Q. Who established the procession of St. Mark ? 

A. The procession of St. Mark was established by 
St. Gregory the Great, to deprecate the wralh of God 
and arrest the plague which was desolating the city of 
Rome in the sixth century. 

Note.— The 2d, 4th and ihe latter part of the last question in this 
chapter are omitted.— 2 Vans. 



CHAPTER XLII. 

Christianity visible. — The ^Ascension, 

Q. What is the feast of the ascension ? 
A. It is the day on which our Lord ascended into 
heaven. 

-' Q. How did our Lord ascend into heaven 1 

A. The fortieth day after his resurrection, having 

set out from Bethany with his disciples and his blessed 

mother, he ascended the mountain of Olives, gave to his 

disciples the command and the power to preach the 

j, gospel to all creatures, and blessed them for the last 

II time, promising them the Holy Ghost : he then in their 

presence raised himself up into heaven by his own 

33 



386 CATECHISM OF PERSEVETIANCE. 

power and carried with him the souls of the just who 
had died before his coming. 

Q. What did the apostles do ? 

A. After having followed with their eyes their Master 
ascending into heaven, the apostles retired to Jerusa- 
lem to await in silence and prayer the descent of the 
Holy Ghost. 

Q. What miracle did the Saviour work when he as- 
cended into heaven ? 

A. In ascending into heaven he left on the rock the 
print of his feet, which is to be seen to this day. 

Q. Why did the Saviour ascend into heaven ? 

A. The Saviour ascended into heaven: 1st, to take 
possession of the glory which his sacred humanity had 
merited by his passion; 2d, to send the Holy Ghost 
upon his apostles and through them upon the whole 
world ; 3d, to open heaven for us ; 4th, to prepare our 
places there and keep them for us. 

Q. What must we do to celebrate the ascension 
worthily ? 

A We must detach our hearts from creatures and 
ardently desire to occupy the place prepared for us by 
Jesus Christ in heaven. 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

Christ ianity Visible. — Pentecost, 

Q. What is Pentecost ? 

A. Pentecost is the day on which the Holy Ghost 
descended upon the apostles. The word pentecost signi- 
fies fifty, and it was fifty days after the resurrection of 
our Lord that the Holy Ghost descended upon the 
apostles. These fifty days comprise the paschal time, 
\vhich is a joyful preparation for the feasiof pentecost* 

Q. How does the church prepare us for this feast .? 

A. The church prepares us further for this feast : 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 387 

1st, by inviting us to spend in recollection and prayer 
the ten days which inervene between the ascention 
and pentecost ; 2d, by appointing a vigil with the obli- 
gation oi fasting. 

Q. How did the Holy Ghost descend upon the 
apostles? 

A. The Holy Ghost descended upon the apostles in 
the shape of tongues as of fire. Fire illumines, ele- 
vates, purifies and changes into itself whatever it em- 
braces. JSuch was the effect prouuced by the Holy 
Ghost upon the apostles, and such still is the effect 
upon all those who receive him in a worthy manner. 

Q. Why did the Holy Ghost appear in the shape of 
tongues ? 

A. He appeared in the shape of tongues to show 
that the apostles w^ere every w^here to preach the gos- 
pel, of which he came to give them a perfect under- 
standing. 

Q. What gifts formerly attended the descent of the 
Holy Ghost upon the faithful ? 

A. In the first ages the descent of the Holy Ghost 
upon the faithful in the sacrament of confiimation was 
ordinarily attended with extraordinary gifts, such as 
the gift of tongues and of prophecy. They ceased 
w^hen religion became firmly established. 

Q. What are the requisite dispositions for receiving 
the Holy Ghost, and celebrating properly the feast of 
Pentecost ? 

A. They are: 1st, an ardent desire to receive the 
Holy Ghost ; 2d, absence of all inordinate utiections. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 

Christianity Visible. — Feast of the Holy Trinity. 

Q. What is the feast of Trinity- Sunday ? 

A. It is the day on which the church in a special 



3S8 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

manner honors one God in three persons. All religion 
tends to the glory of God and consequently to the glory 
of the Holy Trinity, and therefore the feast of the 
Trinity may be said to be perpetual. 

Q Why has a particular feast of the Trinity been 
established ? 

A. It has been established to satisfy the devotion of 
Christians who, not content with the general feast, 
wished to consecrate a particular day to the honor of 
this mystery. This feast was instituted about the 
ninth century and approved at Rome about the four- 
teenth. 

Q. What are our duties with respect to the Holy 
Trinity ? 

A. To adore the Holy Trinity without trying to 
comprehend its mystery. Like the sun, its existence 
is certain, although our feeble eyes cannot look fixedly 
on it. 

Q. What further is our duty } 

A. We must also imitate the three august persons 
of the Trinity. They are perfectly holy, we must 
endeavor to become holy and perfect : they are inti- 
mately united, we must imitate them by a tender love 
for our neighbor; lastly, we must be thankful to each 
of the three persons for what each of them has done 
for us. The Father has created us, the Son has re- 
deemed us, and the Holy Ghost sanctifies us. 

Q. What practice of devotion is there in honor of 
the Holy Trinity ? 

A. In honor of the Holy Trinity there is a devotion 
which consists in three persons uniting together to re- 
cite three times a day, morning:, noon and night, seven 
times the Gloria Patri, glory be to the Father, SfC, with 
one Jive Maria, Hail Mary. Great indulgences are 
attached to this devotion, and it is a good means to re- 
pair the blasphemies of the impious. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 389 

CHAPTER XLV. 
Christianity visible. — -Corpus Christi. 

Q. What is Corpus Chrisli ? 

A. It is the day consecrated to honor in a special 
manner our Lord Jesus Christ in the holy sacrament 
of the altar. We celebrate this feast every day, in 
celebrating the holy sacrifice of mass, so that the feast 
of the Eucharist, like that of the Holy Trinity, is per- 
petual. Nevertheless the church has established a 
special feast to honor Jesus Christ present on our 
altars. 

Q Is this feast of ancient date ? 

A. The general feast of ihe Eucharist is as ancient 
as the church, but the particular feast dates not further 
back than the thirteenth century. 

Q. Why was it established ? 

A. It was established to atone for the outrages 
offered lo our Saviour by heretics and the impi- 
ous : 2d, to renew the devotion of Christians to the 
adorable sacrament. The office of Corpus Christi, 
the most beautiful of the Church offices, was composed 
by St. Thomas of Aquin. 

Q. At what time did the feast of Corpus Christi 
become universal in the church ? 

A. It became universal in the church in 1311. after 
the general council of Vienne. The most imposing 
part of the ceremonies of this feast is the procession, in 
which our Lord Jesus Christ is carried in triumph. 

Q. What must we do to honor Jesus Christ on this 
feast ? 

A. We must: 1st, assist at the procession with 
recoUeclion and piety; 2d, return thanks to the ISa- 
viour for his extreme goodness in dwelling amongst us 
and blessing our streets with his presence ; 3ii, ask 
pardon for our irreverences and ingratitude towtirds 
him; 4th, pray for those who outrage him even on 
this day. 

33* 



390 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 
Christianity visible. — Feast of the Sacred Heart. 

Q. What is the feast of the Sacred Heart ? 

A. It is a festival established by the church, to 
honor the Sacred Heart of the Saviour burning with 
love for us, and to repair the outrages offered to that 
most Sacred Heart. 

Q. What worship do we owe to the Sacred Heart 
of Jesus ? 

A. We owe to the sacred heart of Jesus the same 
worship of adoration that we pay to his divine humani- 
ty; because it is personally united lo the divinity. In 
honoring the sacred heart we honor Jesus Christ him- 
self. 

Q. What is the origin of the devotion to the Sacred 
Heart ? 

A. The devotion to the Sacred Heart was revealed 
to the venerable Margarite Mary Alacoque, a French 
religious of the Visitation, who lived in the seventeenth 
century. 

Q Why has this devotion been revealed in these 
latter times ? 

A. To revive the fervor of Christians, by presenting 
for their love, the most amiable and loving of hearts. 

Q. What is the spirit of this devotion .*' 

A. 1st, To honor by an unbounded gratitude and 
devotedness the infinite love of the Heart of Jesus for 
men, especially in the Holy Eucharist; 2d, to repair 
by all possible means, the outrages to which his love 
exposed him during his mortal life and still exposes 
hi '11 every day in the Holy Sacrament. 

Q What are the principal fruits of this devotion ? 

A. An ardent love for the Saviour, and graces innu- 
merable, are the fruit and recompense of this devotion* 

Q. What is the Confraternity of the Sacred Heart? 

A. It is an association, approved by the church, in 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 391 

honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and to which 
many indulgences are attached. The obligations are, 
a Pater, Ave and Credo every day, with the following 
aspiration, or any other of similar import: 

! Heart of Jesus, at each instant of the day 
Increase the fire of thy love in my soul. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 
Christianity visible. — Visitation. — Assumption. 

Q. What feast does the church celebrate on the 2d 
of July? 

A. Oh the 2d of July the church celebrates the feast 
ot the visitation of the Blessed Virgin. We honor the 
visit of Mary to her cousm St. Elizabeth, to congratu- 
late her on the graces with which she had been favored 
by God. 

Q. By whom was the feast of the visitation estab- 
h'shed .? 

A It was established by Pope Urban IV, and made 
ffeneral in the fourteenth century by Pope Boniface the 
IXlh to put an end to the great western schism which 
was desolating the church. 

Q. What virtue did the blessed Virgin practice in 
her visitation } 

A. She practiced many virtues which we should 
imitate in our conversations and visits, charity, hu-' 
mility, modesty, zeal for the glory of God. 

Q. What feast is celebrated on the 15th of August? 

A. The feast of the assumption. Mary died from 
an effort of love, and her body was borne to heaven 
without having felt the stain of corruption. The as:- 
sumption of Mary is not an article of faith, but it is a 
truth which no one should doubt. 

Q. When was the feast of the assumption estab- 
lished ? 

A. The feast of the assumption was established 



392 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

previous to the sixth century. It has always been 
celebrated with great pomp, and formerly it was cele- 
brated above all with great fervor. 

Q. What is the office of Mary in heaven ? 

A. Her office in heaven is similar to that of our 
Lord. She intercedes for us, pleads our cause, and 
dispenses with a liberal hand the graces of God ; she 
loves us as never mother the most tender loved her 
child. 

Q. What must we do to merit her protection ? 

A. To merit her protection we must : 1st, be faith- 
ful to grace, for thus Mary attained the pinnacle of 
glory ; 2d, make an offering to her each day ; it mat- 
ters not how small the offering, provided we persevere 
in the pious practice. 



CHAPTER XLVIII. 

Christianity visible, — JVativity. — Presen tation, 

Q. What feast do w^e celebrate on the 8th of Sep- 
tember ? 

A. On the 8th of September w^e celebrate the feast 
of the nativity, that is, the birth of the blessed Virgin. 

Q. Is this feast of ancient date ? 

A. It is of the eleventh century ; it appears to have 
originated in France, whence it passed into the other 
portions of the church. 

Q. What must we do to celebrate it well? 

A We must, 1st, thank God for having: given us so 
good a mother; 2d, felicitate the Blessed Virgin on the 
plenitude of graces with which she was born ; 3d, 
to form a resolution to imitate the virtues of the infant 
Maiy. 

Q. What is the feast of the Presentation ? 

A. It is the day on which Mary, at the age of three 
years, presented herself in the temple and offered up 
herself to the Lord. 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 393 

Q. By whom was this feast established ? 

A. It was established by the churches of the east, 
and celebrated with great pomp from the early ages of 
the church. It passed into France after the Crusades, 
about the middle of the fourteenth century. 

Q. How must we consider the Blessed Virgin in 
her leasts and in her whole life ? 

A. We must consider her as the model of all Chris- 
tians, but especially of Christian women. As daugh- 
ter, spouse, mother, widow, and ever virgin, Mary 
offers to women a perfect model in every position of 
life. It is by imitating the Blessed Virgin that they 
will enjoy that respect and happiness which religion 
is destined to procure them. 

Q. What effects are produced by the veneration of 
the Blessed Virgin ? 

A. It fills the soul with meekness, purity and con- 
fidence ; it has an influence in sanctifying public mor- 
als, and inspires and ennobles the arts. 



CHAPTER XLIX. 

Christianity visible, — Finding and Exaltation of the 

Holy Cross. 

Q. What is the first festival established in honor of 
the cross ? 

A. That which Constantine caused to be established 
in memory of the miraculous cross which had ap- 
peared to him. 

Q Was this a solemn festival ? 

A. From the commencement it was very solemn, 
but it became still more so when, in 326, St. Helena, 
the mother of Constantine, had found the cross of the 
Saviour. These two circumstances form but one 
feast, which we call the Finding of the Holy Cross, 
and is celebrated on the 3d of May. 

Q. What is the second "feast in honor of the cross .' 



394 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

A. It is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, establish- 
ed in the eighih century, to return thanks to^God for the 
restoration of the tiue cross, which the Persians had 
carried away from Jerusalem. 

Q. How should we honor the cross ' 

A. We should honor it by meditating often on the 
lesson which it teaches us ; placing it conspicuously 
in our houses; carrying it on our persons; saluting it 
W'henever we pass it, and making the sign of the cross 
with devotion on ourselves. 

Q. W*hat is the way of the cross ? 

A. Literally speaking, it is the space over which 
the Saviour bore the burden of the cross, and w hich 
extended from Pilate's hall to the place of Calvary, 
where he was crucified. We here understand, by the 
way of the cross, a representation of that trodden by 
our Lord ; and to render the representation more strik- 
ing, pictures representing the Saviour ascending the 
hill of Calvary, are placed at short distances from one 
another. 

Q. Who established the way of the Cross ? 

A. The Sovereign Pontiffs established it to afford 
Christians an opportunity of traveling in spirit that 
way which the Saviour traveled in reality, and to ex- 
cite in their souls deep sentiments oi love and com- 
punction. 

Q. What are the fruits of this devotion? 

A. 1st, to dissipate the darkness of our understand- 
ing. 2d, to touch our hearts. 3d, to aid us in medi- 
tating on the mysteries of the Passion. 



CHAPTER L. 

Christianity visible. — Feast of St. Michael and the 

Guardian t^ngels. 
Q. Is the veneration or honor paid to the angels, of 
ancient origin.' 

A. it is derived from the Ancient Testament, and is 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 395 

found in ail the practices or exercises of the church as 
may be seen by the preface and the canon of the mass, 
the litanies, and other prayers of great antiquity. 

Q. What feast has the church established to honor 
the holy angels? 

A. She has established two in particular ; the feast 
of St. Michael, and of the Guardian Angels. 

Q. On what occasion was the feast of St. Michael 
established ? 

A. St. Michael, chief of the heavenly host, appear- 
ed on Mount Gargan, in Italy, in 493 ; and on this oc- 
casion a special feast was established to honor him 
and all the good angels. 

Q. What veneration or honor do we render to the 
angels ? 

A. The honor we render them is an inferior honor, 
which refers to God. We honor them as the minis- 
ters of God, our intercessors, and our friends. 

Q. What other feast has the church established in 
honor of the holy angels ? 

A. It is the feast of the Guardian Angels; it was 
established in the seventeenth century. 

Q. With what sentiments ought this feast to inspire 
us ? 

A. With great gratitude to God and a high esteem 
for our soul, which will make us respect ourselves, 
respect others, and never scandalize them ^ 

Q What do we owe our Angel Guardian ? 

A. Three things: 1st, respect -on account of his 
presence ; 2d, love, on account of his goodness to us; 
3d, confidence, Oil account of his powerful protection. 



CHAPTER LI. 

Christianity visible, — Feast of Ml- Saints, ^ ] 

Q. What feast do we celebrate the 1st of November? 

A. On the 1st of November we celebrate the feast 

of all the saints, commonly called All- Saints. On this 



396 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE.- 

day the church invites us to the two fold sentiment of 
joy and of sorrow. In the EpivStle she encourages us 
by telling us there are in heaven sainls of every coun- 
try and every age. In the Gospel she marks the 
virtues we must practice in order to arrive there. 
In the preface, she tells us that the saints are our breth- 
ren, that they look upon us with love, and aid us by 
their powerful prayers. At Vespers, she reminds us 
that we are exiles, and teaches us to sigh like the 
captive Israelites at Babylon, for the heavenly Jeru- 
salem our true country. 

Q. Is the feast of All-Saints of ancient date? 

A. It commenced in the seventh century ; w^as estab- 
lished in Rome by Boniface IV, and then passed into 
all the churches. 

Q. Why was it established ? 

A. 1st, to honor ail the f^aints, especially those we 
do not know, or w^ho have no appointed day during 
the year; 2d, to thank God iov the graces bestowed 
upon his elect; 3d, to excite us to imitate the virtues 
of the saints; 4th, to give us an occasion to repair the 
faults committed in the celebration of the particular 
feast of each saint. 

Q. What must w^e do to celebrate worthily the 
feast of All- Saints? 

A. We must excite in our heart a great desire of 
heaven, and great disgust for the earth, and form the 
generous resolution to imitate the saints. 

Q. What is the beatification of a saint ? 

A. It is an act by which the sovereign pontiff de- 
clares a person to be blessed after his deaih. 

Q. What is the canonization of a saint ? 

A It is a solemn and definitive decision by which 
the sovereign pontiff places a person in the number of 
the saints, and authorizes honors to be paid him 
throughout the church. 

Q, What is necessary in proceeding to the beatiffca- 
tion and canonization oi a saint. 

A. Unquestionable miracles, wrought after the death 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 397 

of the person. Thus the church acts with a prudence 
wholly divine, which even heretics and the impious are 
forced to admit. 



CHAPTER LII. 
Chistianity visible* — All-Soids. 

Q. What feast do we celebrate the day after All- 
Saints ? 

A. The commemoration of all the dead, or all-souls. 
By uniting these two feasts the church wishes to re- 
mind us that we are all brethren. 

Q. Has the church always prayed for the dead ? 

A. She has always prayed for the dead, offering up 
the holy sacrifice the day of their death and on the an- 
niversary ; she prays for them at every mass, and has 
instituted a particular feast for the relief of all the 
dead. 

Q. Is this feast of ancient date ? 

A. It is of the 10th century ; it originated in Franche 
Comte ; and St. Odilon, abbot of Cluny, made it obli- 
gatory for all the monasteries of his order, whence it 
prevails throughout the church. 

Q. What motives have we to pray for the dead ? 

A. We have four powerful motives to pray for the 
dead : the glory of God, charity, justice and our own 
interest. 

Q. What do you remark on the burial service of 
the dead ? 

A. 1st, that in it the church gives us an exalted 
idea of a Christian ; 2d, she consoles us therein, by the 
hope of the resurrection which she loudly proclaims 
in her soi'rowf ul chants. 

Q. What signifies the cross planted at the head of 
the grave ? 

A. It signifies that there reposes the body of a Chris- 
tian, who has lived in hope, and who confidently 
expects the day of general resurrection, 
34 



398 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 



CHAPTER LIII . 

Christianity visible. — Dedication. 

Q. What is the feast of the dedication ? 
' A. It is a feast by which we celebrate the consecra- 
tion of our churches. Every thing used in the service 
of reh'gion should be holy ; therefore the church con- 
secrates her temples. This exterior consecration is but 
an image of our consecration to God, for we should be 
more holy than temples and altars. 

Q. To whom belongs the right to consecrate 
churches ? 

A. To bishops only. It is preceded by a fast and 
long prayers, and accompanied with many and beauti- 
ful ceremonies, w^hich teach us h«w holy is God, and 
with what respect we should enter the church. 

Q. What sentiments should we have in entering the 
church ? 

A. Sentiments of joy and respect ; for the church is 
the house of God our Father. All that we behold 
there speaks to our heart and inclines us to virtue : the 
baptismal font, the pulpit, the tribunal of penance, the 
pictures of the saints, the altar, the cross, the commu- 
nion rails. 

Q. Why is a church dedicated under the invocation 
of a saint? 

A. In order to give the faithful a model and a pro- 
tector. They should celebrate the feast of their patron 
with great piety and a sincere desire to walk in his 
footsteps. 



CHAPTER LIV. 

General Summary. — Religion in time and in eteriiity. 

Q. How^ should we consider religion.? 
A. 1st, as a grand fact, which embraces all time, 
explains all things, and to which all things refer; 2d, 



»i 



CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 899 

as an immenpe benefit and the source of all the bless- 
ings we enjoy. 

Q. How is religion the source of all the blessings 
we enjoy ? 

A. Because it is to her we owe our lights, our vir- 
tues, salutary institutions, good laws, the saints, and 
all those men who have really been benefactors to 
their fellow^ men. 

Q. What must we conclude from this ? 

A. We must conclude that religion is divine ; for a 
religion which makes men better, must be good; but it 
is good only because it is true; and true only be- 
cause it is divine Heligion, therefore, which alon^ 
makes men better, and which alone has civilized them, 
is from God, and therefore divine. 

Q. What religion is it that alone has rendered men 
better and alone has civilized them ? 

A. The only religion which has rendered men bet- 
ter and which alone has civilized them, is the Catholic 
religion, to the exclusion of Arians, Mahometans, 
Protestants and philosophers; the Catholic religion, 
therefore, alone is good, alone divine. 

Q. What does religion propose to herself in civil- 
izing nations? 

A. In civilizing them, that is, rendering them bet- 
ter, more enlightened, and more happy, religion pro- 
poses to lead them step by step to perfection, and to 
complete happiness in eternity, where they will receive 
the plenitude of the fruits of redemption. 

Q. How do you call this complete happiness to 
which religion conducts us ? 

A. It is called heaven, and it will be the complement 
of ail lawful desires: 1st. For God, heaven will be 
the accomplishment of this wish expressed by the Sa- 
viour, Father, thy kingdom come ; it will be the com- 
plete manifestation of his glory; the reign of a loving- 
father over his obedient children ; in a word, God in 
heaven will be all in all things. 2d. For creatures 
heaven will be the accomplishment of the wish ex 



400 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE. 

pressed by St. Paul, in their name : All creatures 
groan expecting their deliverance from corruption, and 
their participation in the glory of the elect ; heaven 
and earth will be renewed and clothed with a Jight and 
a beauty which we cannot conceive. 3d. For man, 
heaven will be the accomplishment of all his desires, 
for body and mind. 

Q. What does man desire for the body ? 

A. An agreeable habitation and splendid apparel: 
the heavenly Jerusalem will be our habitation, and our 
bodies will be robed in a raiment of glory and immor- 
tality more brilliant than the sun. Again, man desires 
for the body health, beauty, activity, life, and he stops 
at nothing to obtain these blessings ; heaven will give 
us all these, without mixture of evil and for ever. 

Q. What does man desire for the mind ? 

A. To know much and know it clearly, and there 
is no effort he will not make to obtain this knowledge. 
In heaven we shall know all things and know them 
clearly. 

Q. What does man desire for the heart ? 

A. He desires to love and to be loved ; for this we 
oftentimes sacrifice fortune and even life itself. In 
heaven we shall love and be loved by all that is most 
amiable. 

Q. What more do we desire ? 

A. We desire power and glory. In heaven we 
shall possess power and be crowned with a wreath more 
brilliant than all the diadems of the kings of the earth ; 
in a word, heaven will be the restoration of all things 
to their primitive excellence, and their eternal repose 
in order. 

Q. What must we conclude from this, and from the 
whole Catechism ? 

A. That we ought to love well and practice faith- 
fully our holy religion, which renders us happy on 
earth and leads us to perfect happiness in heaven. 

FINIS. 



•< K 



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